Religion and Political
Violence
April 11 - 12,
2007
James Madison
University
Taylor Hall 404
The conference will investigate
what now appears to be a new form of political action with
international consequences. Prior to September 11, 2001, the
phenomenon of terrorism was far from unknown. Political conflicts
with religious elements have existed throughout most of human
history. Violent conflicts are described in all the great religious
scriptures. In recent years, religiously motivated violence has
appeared as a particularly significant form of terrorism,
accounting for a large number of highly fatal attacks. It is fair
to assume that the attacks of September 11 have ushered in a new
era in which terrorism, often inspired by religion, poses a grave
strategic threat not only to the Western world, but also to the
international community at large. As a mode of action, religiously
inspired terrorism has been adopted by segments of virtually all
religions. At the same time, the attacks of September 11, and the
continued violence since then, make us question whether the
important relationship between religion and political violence has
been properly understood. The conference will address a variety of
questions related to the cause, characteristics, and effects of
religious terrorism, discuss ways of countering this phenomenon,
and develop suggestions for change.
Conference
Schedule
Wednesday, April
11
9:30 - 9:45 a.m.
Opening Remarks
Sushil Mittal, Mahatma Gandhi
Center, James Madison University
9:45 - 10 a.m.
Welcoming Remarks
David K. Jeffrey, Dean, College of
Arts and Letters, James Madison University
10 - 11 a.m.
"American Hegemony and Religious
Nonviolence"
Earl S. Zimmerman, Eastern
Mennonite University
Moderator: Ari Kohen, Justice
Studies, James Madison University
11 - 12 a.m.
"Moving Toward a Pluralistic
Context for Interfaith Peacemaking and Conflict
Resolution"
Roderic Owen, Mary Baldwin
College
Moderator: Wayne
S. Teel, Integrated Science and Technology, James Madison
University
12 - 1 p.m.
Lunch Break
1 - 2 p.m.
"Lessons From Recent South Asian
Political Thought"
Anthony Parel, University of
Calgary, Canada
Moderator: Jack Butt, History,
James Madison University
2 - 3 p.m.
"Interfaith Peace Interventions: Their Promise for
Countering Religiously Motivated Violence"
John D. Copenhaver, Jr.,
Shenandoah University
Moderator: Steven Keffer, Biolgoy,
James Madison University
3 - 4 p.m.
"Taming the Terror: Religious
Models for Violence and Nonviolence"
Lester R. Kurtz, University of
Texas at Austin
Moderator: Cindy Klevickis,
Psychology, James Madison University
Thursday, April
12
10 - 11 a.m.
"A Man for All Seasons: Gandhi and
Nonviolent Action"
Fred Dallmayr, University of Notre
Dame
Moderator: Louise Loe, History,
James Madison University
11 - 12 a.m.
"Resisting Terrorism: From
Collective Trauma to Nonviolent Response"
Cynthia Hess, St Mary's College of
Maryland
Moderator: Steven Hoeltzel,
Philosophy and Religion, James Madison University
12 - 1 p.m.
Lunch Break
1 - 2 p.m.
"Dissolving Terrorism at Its
Roots"
Hardy Merriman, International
Center on Nonviolent Conflict
Moderator: Charles Bolyard,
Philosophy and Religion, James Madison University
2 - 3 p.m.
"Nonviolence, Violence, and
Religious Violence within Today's World Disorder"
Glen T. Martin, Radford
University
Moderator: Andrea Veltman,
Philosophy and Religion, James Madison University
3 - 4 p.m.
"Gandhi's Response to Present
World Violence"
Majid Tehranian, Toda Institute
for Global Peace and Policy Research
Moderator: Scott Vollum, Justice
Studies, James Madison University
4 - 5 p.m.
"Gandhi against Bin Laden: The Relevance of
Nonviolence in the Fight against Terrorism"
David Cortright, Fourth Freedom Forum
Moderator: Iain Maclean,
Philosophy and Religion, James Madison University
5 - 5:30 p.m.
Closing Remarks
William J. Hawk, Philosophy and
Religion, James Madison University
Admission to the conference is
free and open to the public.
Support for the conference is
provided in part by JMU Center for Multicultural Student Services,
College of Arts and Letters, Cross Disciplinary Studies, Department
of Philosophy and Religion, General Education Program, Office of
International Programs, Office of the Special Assistant to the
President, and Dining Services,
