Religion and genocide studies

Abstract

Historically, neither Holocaust Studies and Genocide Studies have frequently pursued a religious framework. Howver, interest in the relationship between religion and genocide shows signes of increaing. This chapter addresses the intersections of religion and genocide both as a subfield within genocide studies and phenomenologically by examining several models for analyzing the role of religion in genocide processes. In so doing, the chapter provides a non-exhaustive, bibliographical landscape of scholarship on religion and genocide. The first section briefly sketches debates defining “religion” and “genocide.” Section two chronologically situates research on genocide and religion within the larger context of genocides studies and then summarizes reasons for the under-exploration of the religious aspects of genocide. The fourth discusses the comparative, analytical approaches of five scholars to religion and genocide studies followed by a conclusion that asks if genocides studies is experiencing a post-secular turn and offers lines for future inquiry.