Putting Religion First

Abstract

This paper examines a version of the religious violence thesis drawn from William Cavanaugh's critical diagnosis of it, and particularly the characterization of some of its proponents that religion is uniquely divisive and, consequently, a unique cause of conflict and violence. According to one representative model advanced by Martin Marty, Mark Juergensmeyer, and others, religion is an inherently disunifying phenomenon because it uniquely enables sacred and exclusive bonds that nurture antagonistic proclivities toward those outside that bond. This paper presents some viable counterexplanations for this kind of phenomena that provide a sufficient basis for questioning the core thread of the thesis.     

纸醉金迷英伦气息

电影 《Before Sunrise》和《Before Sunset》 严格说来,这是一部电影的上下篇,如果连在一起看,那感觉真是棒极了,到最后你会被女主角的一首吉他弹唱感动得一塌糊涂。故事讲的是：在欧洲的火车上,一对正在激烈争吵的中年德国夫妇,硬生生把两个安静读小说的青年挤到了相邻座位上。