What you'll learn
Religious and non-religious attitudes to war, peace and conflict.
Peace and pacifism
- The value of peace in religious teaching; many believers work for peace and reconciliation.
- Pacifism: the belief that violence is never justified (e.g. Quakers).
Just war and holy war
- Just War theory: conditions for a war to be justified (just cause, last resort, proportionate, legitimate authority, reasonable chance of success).
- Holy war: fighting for religious reasons; the careful, conditional meaning of jihad in Islam (and the greater/spiritual jihad).
- Attitudes to weapons of mass destruction and terrorism (widely condemned).
Responses to conflict
- Forgiveness and reconciliation as ways to end conflict.
- The work of religious peacemakers and charities.
Exam tips
- Learn the Just War conditions and apply them.
- Contrast pacifism with the Just War position, then evaluate.
Common mistakes
- Equating jihad only with violence.
- Assuming all believers are pacifists (or none are).