Ending Holy Wars: Religion and Conflict Resolution in Civil Wars

An exploration of how religious dimensions affect the possibilities for conflict resolution in civil war, this account systematically attempts to map out the religious dimensions of internal armed conflicts and to explain the conditions under which religious dimensions impede peaceful settlement. Drawing upon empirical work on global data, and based on the Uppsala Conflict Data Program, this book shows how religious identities and incompatibilities influence the likelihood of agreements and the mechanisms through which parties and third-party mediators have been able to overcome religious obstacles to negotiated settlements. Findings such as these pave the way for a discussion on how conflict theory can better incorporate religious dimensions as well as how policy can be designed to manage religious dimensions in armed conflicts.