Between Eden and Armageddon: The Future of World Religions, Violence, and Peacemaking (Paperback)

by Marc Gopin (Author) "An unprecedented level of paradoxical religious movement characterizes the contemporary era..." (more)
Key Phrases: elicitive method, conflict analysis theory, religious peacemaking, United States, Middle East, Critique of Approaches (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[O]ffers a nuanced understanding of the relationship of religion and violence."--Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation


Product Description
Recent years have seen a meteoric rise in the power and importance of organized religion in many parts of the world. At the same time, there has been a significant increase in violence perpetrated in the name of religion. While much has been written on the relationship between violence and religious militancy, history shows that religious people have also played a critical role in peacemaking within numerous cultures. In the new century, will religion bring upon further catastrophes? Or will it provide human civilization with methods of care, healing, and the creation of peaceful and just societies? In this groundbreaking book, Marc Gopin integrates the study of religion with the study of conflict resolution. He argues that religion can play a critical role in constructing a global community of shared moral commitments and vision--a community that can limit conflict to its nonviolent, constructive variety. If we examine religious myths and moral traditions, Gopin argues, we can understand why and when religious people come to violence, and why and when they become staunch peacemakers. He shows that it is the conservative expression of most religious traditions that presents the largest challenge in terms of peace and conflict. Gopin considers ways to construct traditional paradigms that are committed to peacemaking on a deep level and offers such a paradigm for the case of Judaism. Throughout, Gopin emphasizes that developing the potential of the world's religions for coping with conflict demands a conscious process on the part of peacemakers and theologians. His innovative and carefully argued study also offers a broad set of recommendations for policy planners both inside and outside of government.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195157257
• ISBN-13: 978-0195157253
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #426,001 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is good, Presses you Ideas, January 10, 2002

By	Terry Voris - See all my reviews

This review is from: Between Eden and Armageddon: The Future of World Religions, Violence, and Peacemaking (Hardcover)

A very unusual book. As much as many people desire to have a knowledge of the future, whether based on their religious belief or scientific preference, this book will enhance you. There is a wealth of education here, this book is in fact a bank of information both general and focused on the future. I'd have to say the direction of the book is highly biased and many readers may even be heavily critical, however the material presented allows you to draw reasonable conclusions of your own. The title of the book does in fact reveal the background of the author.
I suggest reading a book that covers this in a very broad scope, from our beginnings to our key to survival, even predicted the terrorist attack, other specific and surprising events, SB 1 or God by Karl Mark Maddox.

9 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ancient Secrets , Modern Solutions, June 13, 2001

By	Reissah Leigh (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Between Eden and Armageddon: The Future of World Religions, Violence, and Peacemaking (Hardcover)

Although this book is categorized under Religion, I was impressed with the SECULAR UNIVERSALITY of the guidelines and paradigms.THIS IS A ROADMAP FOR WORLD PEACE; it should be recognized and utilized as such. Compassion in life is ethically and spiritually based. Using ancient religious ethics to solve modern conflicts is the art of using ancient wisdom to create our future, and to keep humanity alive. The alignment of ecumenical leaders for the purpose of global conflict resolution is just the tip of the iceberg. The guidelines for 'listening compassionately' to another person, or to an entire culture, and its needs, in a conflict situation are the basis of survival of the human species. When people pray for peace, there are no diffences in their hearts. When people can "see","understand",and "feel" recognition of and respect for the "core being", conflict cannot exist,and polarities dissolve. This book and excerpts from it should be utilized and taught in all arenas of our lives--homes,workplaces,school,governmental facilities,places of worship. The guidelines are here to stop children from killing children in our schools.These same paradigms are applicable to stopping the senseless global conflict that we view everyday of "man's inhumanity to man". These paradigms are the antidote to the fear that creates conflict.

6 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Potentially useful, disappointingly bias, August 22, 2001

By	Dr J P Larsson "jplarsson" (Dundee, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Between Eden and Armageddon: The Future of World Religions, Violence, and Peacemaking (Hardcover)

Marc Gopin made an attempt at an unbiased, all-encompassing handbook for religious peace-making... And unfortuanately fell into the same trap as scholars on religion and war, or religion and peace, have for centuries. The lack of eidetic vision (ability to see things as a whole) and epoché (suspension of judgement) make this book disappointingly bias.

Nonetheless, if one can disregard the majority of the book (which fall into aforementioned trap), there are one or two gems of useful information, although anyone intending to use the framework for religious peacemaking as proposed in the book should be very aware of the implications such a subjective view has.