Religion as Major Reason for Global Civil Conflicts

Uppsala Conflict Data Program (Date of retrieval: 16/08/16) UCDP Conflict Encyclopedia: www.ucdp.uu.se, Uppsala University

Religion is generally recognized as basis for identity formation that motivates social groups to devote and unite around specific ideological or political systems. Since the period after the World War II the formation of identity-based cleavages has become highly intensive. As result, the religious conflict tensions appear to be more harmful for the affected nations due to their inability to legitimate the particular aspect of identity which the cleavage groups hold on[1].

National Identity Changes

National identity changes globally by leaving the religion aside from the common living affairs[2]. A reason for this can be the division between traditional[3] and secular civil societies[4] or the fact that religion has the potential to express exclusive sentiments against the idea of social collectivism. Still, the fierce nature of religion refers mostly to the intention of protecting the natural right of faith and the defense of this standpoint.

Changing religion, changing economies. Oct 2015. Religious Freedom & Business Foundation

The Matter of Power

Religion slowly loses its influence on population and its power it is no longer recognizable as in the past. This process creates favorable conditions for the creation of religious formations that express their strong resistance towards the changing socio-economic and political objectives. In this regard, the ethnic conflicts and civil wars have become the most common method of identity expression against the modern tendencies for collective development.

[1] Lindberg, J.-E. (2008), Running on Faith?, Norway: University of Oslo <https://www.duo.uio.no/bitstream/handle/10852/14975/STV4990maJEL.pdf?sequence=2>

[2] Grim, B. “How religious will the world be in 2050?”, World Economic Forum, Oct 2015, <https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/10/how-religious-will-the-world-be-in-2050/> (30.10.2016)

[3] Greene, K. & Rubin, L. D., “Effects of Gender Inclusive/Exclusive Language in Religious Discourse”, Journal of Language and Social Psychology, Vol. 10, No.2, pp. 81-92

[4] Schnabel, A. & Hjerm, M.,“How the Religious Cleavages of Civil Society Shape National Identity”, SAGE Open, January-March 2014, pp.1-14

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