Crescent and Dove

Abstract

What can be learned from Islamic teachings on questions of nonviolence and peace building? Quite a lot according to the contributors of this new collection of essays from Muslim theologians, academics, and peace activists. This is a timely contribution to the nascent field of Islamically in spired peacemaking and conflict-resolution studies, offering both intellectual and practical applications for those interested in engaging this difficult but important task. The volume is divided in to two sections and contains ten chapters. Part one presents theoretical discussions, which contextualize notions of peace and conflict resolution from Islamic textual sources and analyses the concepts of peace, jihad, war, and martyrdom within the Islamic tradition. The second part is more empirical and profiles case studies from human-rights activists, peacemaking organizations, and the work of prominent Islamic thinkers. It also has a glossary of conflict-resolution terms and four appendixes, which provide useful resources. This volume address three areas: the ethics of violence in Islam, nonviolence in the Islamic tradition, and contemporary efforts at Islamic peacemaking ...