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Holy Wars: Why are wars in history often fought in the name of religion?
Religious wars, also known as holy wars, are wars caused or justified by religious differences or beliefs. The contexts of such wars are often complex, with fierce debate surrounding the dominance of religious, economic, ethnic and other factors. Many scholars believe that the root causes of war are not limited to religion, but may also be hidden under other conflict factors such as power, ethnicity, society, politics, and economy.
"The concept of religious war is a product of the modern West. Many wars labeled as "religious" may actually have secular economic or political motivations."
The definition of "religious wars" and the applicability of religion in wars directly affect how we view various conflicts in history. For example, according to research from the Encyclopedia of War, out of 1,763 known historical conflicts, only 121 (approximately 6.87%) are believed to have been religiously motivated. This makes us wonder, how important a role did religion play in these wars?
Historical Perspective: Definition and Evolution
Different scholars’ definitions of “religious wars” continue to evolve. Konrad Repgen mentioned that the criterion for declaring a war a "religious war" is that at least one side uses religious law as a basis to justify its fighting. Philip Benedict believes that this definition is too narrow, because sometimes the motivation and legalization process can be fully proved. David Onnekink contends that religious wars and holy wars are not exactly the same, and that the former may be wars fought for religious purposes by secular leaders.
"In some cases, the context for religious wars may blend secular motivations with religious beliefs."
However, the definition of "religion" itself is quite difficult to define, especially when it comes to non-Western cultures. For example, how does the concept of "jihad" in Islam fit into different cultural contexts? In Judeo-Christian texts there is often no clear concept of "religion" that corresponds directly to modern definitions.
Religious war cases in history
A series of historical events show that ethnic and cultural conflicts are often disguised by religion. The Troubles in Ireland, for example, is ostensibly portrayed as a conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism, but many studies have shown that it was actually closer to struggles over nationalism and cultural identity. Another example is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has a distinct religious overtone, but in fact the root of the opposition also lies in territorial and ethnic issues.
"Many scholars agree that hatred and prejudice are often the underlying drivers of conflict, of which religion is only a surface."
Comparison between modern and ancient times
Many concepts of religious war can be traced back to ancient views of sacred war, such as the development of Christian teachings during the Crusades, or Hindu teachings on war such as dharma-yuddha, which show how religion can contribute to war. Providing legitimizing meaning. Many Western scholars are currently trying to explore how these concepts interact with and influence the practice of war.
Conclusion
Whether it is a war under a democratic system or a military operation under an authoritarian regime, the name of religion often becomes a powerful justification in an attempt to influence public opinion on more levels. This leads us to reflect, what role does religion play in the history of war? Is it the main factor leading to the conflict, or is it just a symptom?
