Round TablePub Date : 2023-11-10DOI: 10.1080/00358533.2023.2278962
Michael Nazir-Ali
{"title":"What is behind the mobs in Pakistan?","authors":"Michael Nazir-Ali","doi":"10.1080/00358533.2023.2278962","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2023.2278962","url":null,"abstract":"\"What is behind the mobs in Pakistan?.\" The Round Table, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print), pp. 1–2","PeriodicalId":35685,"journal":{"name":"Round Table","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135138316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Round TablePub Date : 2023-09-03DOI: 10.1080/00358533.2023.2268924
Michael Nazir-Ali
{"title":"The role of religion in conflict and peace-making","authors":"Michael Nazir-Ali","doi":"10.1080/00358533.2023.2268924","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2023.2268924","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACTThis article seeks to describe the role of religion in society both in terms of cohesion, where it can provide a spiritual and moral ‘glue’ for a particular society and in terms of its ‘prophetic’ aspect, where it can challenge the state or society and the direction it, or some elements in it, may be taking. It will then consider how religion can go wrong and fuel conflict between ethnic groups within nations or between nations. Examples will be given from the Middle Ages, early modern Europe and contemporary nationalisms in Asia and Europe. Religion can also, the article argues, be a powerful force for making and maintaining peace between groups and nations. This can arise directly from religious conviction or it can be the result of patient dialogue between representatives of religious traditions about how each tradition encourages, or even requires, them to work for peace whether locally, nationally or internationally. Particular attention will be given to the ‘Abrahamic’ faiths because of their global reach and because they are a factor in conflict, as well as in peace-making, in so many parts of the world. There will also be discussion of the accountability of religious traditions in the context of inter-religious dialogue, in the media and in the public square, regarding their role in promoting fundamental freedoms, good stewardship of the natural world, bringing conflict to an end and promoting peace and collaboration among diverse ethnic, religious and socio-economic groups.KEYWORDS: Religionpeace-makingsocial cohesionvaluesprophetic rolesinterfaith dialogue Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1. See my Conviction and Conflict: Islam, Christianity and World Order, London, Continuum Press, 2006, pp 17f.2. Bryan Wilson, Religion in Sociological Perspective, Oxford, OUP, 1982, pp 32ff.3. Wilson, ibid, p. v, Akbar Ahmed, Islam under Siege, Polity Press, Cambridge, 2003, pp74ff. See also his Ibn Khaldun’s Understanding of Civilisation, Middle East Journal 56, 1, Winter, 2002, Pp 1ff.4. Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun’s Understanding of Civilisation, p 77.5. Peter Berger, A Rumour of Angels: Modern Society and the Rediscovery of the Supernatural, Baltimore, Penguin, 1969. His later book, The Heretical Imperative, Collins, London, 1980, explores the applicability of an inductive approach to assessing religious experience.6. Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, London, Duckworth, 2nd edn, 1985, pp4f, 263.7. Immanuel Kant, Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone, New York, Harper, 1960, Pp 6, 131, 170ff. See also Michael Nazir-Ali, Thinking and Acting Morally, Crucible, October-December, 2002, Pp 207ff.8. Callum Brown, The Death of Christian Britain, London, Routledge, 2001, Pp 2–3.9. Walter Brueggemann, The Prophetic Imagination, Philadelphia, PA, Fortress Press, 1978.10. On this early period see Martin Lings, Muhammad: his life based on the earliest sources, Cambridge, Isla","PeriodicalId":35685,"journal":{"name":"Round Table","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134948717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Round TablePub Date : 2023-09-03DOI: 10.1080/00358533.2023.2268954
Venkat Iyer
{"title":"Politics of hate: religious Majoritarianism in South Asia <b>Politics of hate: religious Majoritarianism in South Asia</b> , edited by Farahnaz Ispahani, Gurugram, India, HarperCollins, 2023, xxii + 311 pp., INR 599 (paperback), ISBN: 978-93-5629-355-7","authors":"Venkat Iyer","doi":"10.1080/00358533.2023.2268954","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2023.2268954","url":null,"abstract":"\"Politics of hate: religious Majoritarianism in South Asia.\" The Round Table, 112(5), pp. 559–560","PeriodicalId":35685,"journal":{"name":"Round Table","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134948721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Round TablePub Date : 2023-09-03DOI: 10.1080/00358533.2023.2268930
Jonathan Chaplin
{"title":"Can Commonwealth values be grounded in religion? Resources from the Christian tradition","authors":"Jonathan Chaplin","doi":"10.1080/00358533.2023.2268930","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2023.2268930","url":null,"abstract":"Although religion has played a significant historical role in forming the political culture of most Commonwealth members, the Commonwealth has mostly refrained from engaging with religious thought and practice. This article proposes that the core values embodied in the Commonwealth Charter could offer a promising focus for a new engagement between the Commonwealth and the diverse religious traditions represented among its members. It offers a case study of modern Christian political thought to show how one religious tradition might go about constructing a foundation for a constitutional democracy consonant with Christian values, identifying five central themes in Christian political thought that speak to Charter values. It calls for Christian individuals and denominational bodies to signal strong support for the Charter and together with other religious and secular traditions to engage in exploration, critique and dialogue.","PeriodicalId":35685,"journal":{"name":"Round Table","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134948723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Round TablePub Date : 2023-09-03DOI: 10.1080/00358533.2023.2268925
Dayanath Jayasuriya
{"title":"Sri Lanka: recent crises in a multi-religious society","authors":"Dayanath Jayasuriya","doi":"10.1080/00358533.2023.2268925","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2023.2268925","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACTSri Lanka has traditionally been known as a predominantly Buddhist country, where people belonging to Hindu, Muslim and Christian religions have co-existed, largely peacefully, for centuries. From time to time, opportunistic politicians and a small minority of militant religious leaders have tried to foment unrest among religious groups. The civil war that lasted for 30 years resulted in the murder of Buddhist and Muslim devotees and damage to sacred places of worship. The Easter Sunday attacks in 2021 by Muslim militants set back modest efforts underway to promote religious harmony. This article examines the causes and implications of such challenges.KEYWORDS: Constitutional guaranteesethnic disturbanceseconomic problemsnational security concernsnation-building Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).","PeriodicalId":35685,"journal":{"name":"Round Table","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134948715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Round TablePub Date : 2023-09-03DOI: 10.1080/00358533.2023.2268947
Derek McDougall
{"title":"Victoria drops the Commonwealth Games","authors":"Derek McDougall","doi":"10.1080/00358533.2023.2268947","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2023.2268947","url":null,"abstract":"\"Victoria drops the Commonwealth Games.\" The Round Table, 112(5), pp. 551–552 Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).","PeriodicalId":35685,"journal":{"name":"Round Table","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134948726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Round TablePub Date : 2023-09-03DOI: 10.1080/00358533.2023.2268941
Narendra Kaushik, Amit Sharma
{"title":"The impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on Commonwealth nations","authors":"Narendra Kaushik, Amit Sharma","doi":"10.1080/00358533.2023.2268941","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2023.2268941","url":null,"abstract":"\"The impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on Commonwealth nations.\" The Round Table, 112(5), pp. 555–556 Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).","PeriodicalId":35685,"journal":{"name":"Round Table","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134948730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Round TablePub Date : 2023-09-03DOI: 10.1080/00358533.2023.2268928
Patrick Afamefune Ikem, Confidence Nwachinemere Ogbonna
{"title":"Soft power prophet(s): the unexplored dimension of Nigeria’s religious soft power potential","authors":"Patrick Afamefune Ikem, Confidence Nwachinemere Ogbonna","doi":"10.1080/00358533.2023.2268928","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2023.2268928","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACTDespite Nigeria’s reservoir of soft power resources, adequate attention has not been given to the growing transnational influence of Nigeria’s Pentecostal pastors/prophets. Drawing on the recent emphasis on soft power capabilities of individuals which moves soft power discourse away from focusing strictly on state-centric analysis, this paper examines the soft power attraction of Nigeria’s Pentecostal pastors/prophets, especially, the late Prophet TB Joshua. The article argues that with the enormity of such influence, the Nigerian state can leverage it as a potent tool of diplomacy to further enhance its soft power, although it notes that the expected separation between the state and religion might pose some challenges.KEYWORDS: NigeriaPentecostalismsoft powerprophecyProphet TB Joshua Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1. Nigeria’s 2006 Census enumerated over 68 million Muslims in the country compared to Egypt’s 55 million, which is the highest for any Arab country.","PeriodicalId":35685,"journal":{"name":"Round Table","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134948724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Round TablePub Date : 2023-09-03DOI: 10.1080/00358533.2023.2268937
Pramod Kumar
{"title":"15 <sup>th</sup> BRICS summit: key takeaways and their relevance","authors":"Pramod Kumar","doi":"10.1080/00358533.2023.2268937","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2023.2268937","url":null,"abstract":"\"15th BRICS summit: key takeaways and their relevance.\" The Round Table, 112(5), pp. 549–550 Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).","PeriodicalId":35685,"journal":{"name":"Round Table","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134948719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}