Religious Hatred - by Paul Hedges (Paperback)

About the Book

"Why does religion inspire hatred? Why do people in one religion sometimes hate people of another religion, and also why do some religions inspire hatred from others? This book shows how scholarly studies of prejudice, identity formation, and genocide studies can shed light on global examples of religious hatred. The book is divided into four parts, focusing respectively on the theory, historical context, contemporary Western hatreds, and prejudices beyond the West. Each part ends with a special focus section. The book focuses on Antisemitism and Islamophobia, both in the West and beyond, including examples of prejudices and hatred in Hinduism and Buddhism. Drawing on examples from Europe, North America, MENA, South and Southeast Asia, and Africa, Paul Hedges points to common patterns, while identifying the specifics of local context. Religious Hatred is an essential guide for understanding the historical origins of religious hatred, the manifestations of this hatred across diverse religious and cultural contexts, and the strategies employed by activists and peacemakers to overcome this hatred"--

Book Synopsis

Why does religion inspire hatred? Why do people in one religion sometimes hate people of another religion, and also why do some religions inspire hatred from others?

This book shows how scholarly studies of prejudice, identity formation, and genocide studies can shed light on global examples of religious hatred. The book is divided into four parts, focusing respectively on: theories of prejudice and violence; historical developments of Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and race; contemporary Western Antisemitism and Islamophobia; and, prejudices beyond the West in the Islamic, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions. Each part ends with a special focus section.

Key features include:
- A compelling synthesis of theories of prejudice, identity, and hatred to explain Islamophobia and Antisemitism.
- An innovative theory of human violence and genocide which explains the link to prejudice.
- Case studies of both Western Antisemitism and Islamophobia in history and today, alongside global studies of Islamic Antisemitism and Hindu and Buddhist Islamophobia
- Integrates discussion of race and racialisation as aspects of Islamophobic and Antisemitic prejudice in relation to their framing in religious discourses.
- Accessible for general readers and students, it can be employed as a textbook for students or read with benefit by scholars for its novel synthesis and theories.

The book focuses on Antisemitism and Islamophobia, both in the West and beyond, including examples of prejudices and hatred in the Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions. Drawing on examples from Europe, North America, MENA, South and Southeast Asia, and Africa, Paul Hedges points to common patterns, while identifying the specifics of local context.
Religious Hatred is an essential guide for understanding the historical origins of religious hatred, the manifestations of this hatred across diverse religious and cultural contexts, and the strategies employed by activists and peacemakers to overcome this hatred.

Review Quotes

"Hedges has written a remarkable book, which deserves to be widely read by students of religion, as well as by those who work in community relations. It is accessible and clearly written ... work of scholarship from an expert in interreligious relations." --Reviews in Religion and Theology

"Paul Hedges offers a critical and multidisciplinary contribution to the perennial questions regarding the whence, whither, wherefore, and whereby of religious hatred ... Significantly, he connects antisemitism and Islamophobia together as forms of bias and prejudice (partially explainable through social identity theory). For this, and more, the book is highly commendable ... Indeed, I'll be employing it in my own classes precisely because of how it opens us up to debate and critical exploration." --Journal of Interreligious Studies

"Religious Hatred is an ambitious book ... No one volume attempting to weave together so much history in so many places can do everything, but Hedges is able to do quite a lot to enter into and further a conversation that, I hope, will remain at the forefront. With Islamophobia and antisemitism on the rise, work like this is crucial." --Journal of the American Academy of Religion

"The book is written in straightforward and jargon-free language that makes it suitable for a course book but also relevant for senior scholars and the general public. It is carefully worded with elegant alliterative sentences, inviting the reader to stop and reflect." --TEMENOS: Nordic Journal of Comparative Religion

"I believe the book to be of great worth ... I have learned a lot from it, and will undoubtedly return to it ... Overall, the book offers rich reward for taking the time to read it and think about it." --Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books

"Hedges' book is an excellent resource for educators and scholars hoping to have more nuanced and balanced discussions on the realities of Islamophobia and antisemitism. His book equips his readers with the resources they need not only to conceptually understand what prejudice, hatred and violence are as human phenomena, but also to respond to these challenges with deeper historical awareness and sensitivity." --Current Dialogue

About the Author

Paul Hedges is Associate Professor of Interreligious Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He has produced over a dozen books and sixty papers in such areas as interreligious relations, theory and method in the study of religion, and the role of religion in contemporary society. His books include Contemporary Christian-Muslim Encounters (Bloomsbury, 2015).