ABSTRACT
Religious violence is not the product of monotheism: it is the prominence of monotheistic religions in the West and modern violence that make it seem that way. The growing secularisation and individualisation in the West make religious violence there increasingly unlikely, as people less and less identify themselves in terms of religious identity. Historical situations, social locations and ideological developments all play a role in erupting religious violence. There is no doubt possible that the debate on the roots of religious violence, or rather religious based or motivated violence, has been much promoted and enriched by Jan Assmann's work since his fascinating Moses the Egyptian. It is true that religions have a potential for violence, but they also have a potential for peace. An important difference with ancient times is the continuing success of monotheistic religions in the global world, whereas polytheism is much less successful in conversions.
