ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the links between religion and conflict. It focuses on how religion's other facets can cause or significantly influence a conflict. Violence which is caused by religion is usually connected to a religious worldview, belief, doctrine, or ideology. Religious violence is almost always instrumental—designed to attain a goal—though the goal itself is often inspired by religious ideology. Some religious violence can be classified as expressive. In democratic settings religious institutions are less easily used for violent conflict than for open political mobilization. In non-democratic settings, any political involvement by religious groups is often repressed, so the secretive nature of mobilization for violent opposition is relatively easier. Religious terror is distinguishable from terror motivated by other ideologies in that is it often more violent and extreme. The dominant narrative on recruitment by violent religious groups is that they recruit from the poor, uneducated, and socially isolated. Successful movements understand both the social and ideological elements of recruitment.
