War and Religion: An Encyclopedia of Faith and Conflict

Shaw (strategy & policy) and Demy (ethics; both Coll. of Distance Education, Naval War Coll., RI) examine the influence of religious traditions on war and explore major figures, battles, and weapons. Three volumes of fascinating entries are organized alphabetically; indexing by themes and names, an overall time line, and a guide to specific subjects are also helpful. Brief bibliographical and "see also" references are included for each entry, and the set further contains an overarching bibliography. One key section features 49 primary documents, from excerpts of Protestant reformer Martin Luther's writings to UN resolutions on terrorism. This title's scope goes beyond the major faith traditions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism) to cover belief systems such as Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology; Zoroastrianism; and Jainism. The editors successfully answer key questions: "How has religious belief influenced conflict and warfare through the ages, and what is the relationship between war and religion? What do the major religious traditions have to say about the use of armed force, and how can people today learn from the past in hopes of minimizing the potential for future conflict emanating from religious ideas and practices?"