ABSTRACT
The contemporary interest in studying religion in international relations (IR) is particularly important, because it can offer insight into the exact characteristics that led to its exclusion from IR in the first place. This chapter deals with the relationships between religion, emotions and conflict escalation. It shows that collective emotions are interlinked with cognitive processes and representational practices in which religious ethics, or conceptions of right and wrong, good and evil, play a role. The chapter argues that religion is particularly interesting for IR, not only because of its instrumental relevance, or even because of its significance for identity and culture. It illuminates why a focus on what sociological studies have labelled collective emotions is relevant for conflict studies in general. The chapter shows that a focus on collective emotions can both add breadth to the theory's conception of the securitizing actor, as well as depth to its conception of the audience.
