Wesselingh, Tjerk
(2019)
The Myth of Gods and Guns.
Master thesis, Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation.
Abstract
This thesis applies a critical study of religion to counterinsurgency theory, a specific practice and field of study within military science. The question that the thesis treats is how a critical understanding of religion can contribute to a better understanding of modern insurgency and coun-terinsurgency theory. According to this thesis liberal-secularist understandings of ‘religion’ domi-nate the COIN field. These are revealed by examining the work done by religious scholars such as William Cavanaugh and José Casanova and applying it to prominent scholars of COIN such as Ed-ward Luttwak and Frank Hoffman. Equally useful is the application of the perspectives of the reli-gious scholars to paradigmatic theoretical works of the modern COIN field such as the Field Manual 3-24 of the United States Marine Corps it shows that ‘religion’ is treated as something ‘sui generis’, as something in itself. COIN theoreticians approach it with multiple different assumptions or an a priori definition, without actually critically questioning how their understandings came about or what the consequences of their assumptions are. They often overlook the powerrelations that lay behind the concept which they understand as ‘religion’, as Cavanaugh explain. They also overlook the social dynamics behind the process of secularization as Casanova explains, thereby running the risk to antagonize the people who they say they want to help through the application of COIN practices.
| Type: |
Thesis
(Master)
|
| Supervisors (RUG): |
| Supervisor | E-mail | Tutor organization | Tutor email |
|---|
| Tarusarira, J. | J.Tarusarira@rug.nl | | | | Martinez - Arino, J. | J.Martinez.Arino@rug.nl | | |
|
| Degree programme: |
Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation |
| Academic year: |
2018- 2019 |
| Date of delivery: |
11 Oct 2019 |
| Last modified: |
11 Oct 2019 07:56 |
| URI: |
https://rcs.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/518 |
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