Monotheism, intolerance, and the path to pluralistic politics /
Haw, Christopher A.,author.
"In a shrinking and globalizing world, with many conflicts stemming from religious and ideological differences, how are we to manage monotheism's potential for inspiring intolerant anti-pluralism?Discussions of monotheism's political consequences often emphasize either its intolerance of other gods and religions as a source of bigotry and conflict, on the one hand, or emphasize monotheism as a source of pacific, universalistic tolerance on the other. But both approaches fail to see the combined danger and liberation in monotheism's "intolerance." I argue that monotheism's intolerance opens up historic potentials that are both crucial to pluralistic coexistence and dangerous: it helped dissolve the ancient link between God and the political sphere and deepened concern for the victims of politics while it also made possible a uniquely absolutist violence. By comparison, polytheistic "tolerance" does not make for a liberating vision of inclusion and diversity. To argue this, I construct an account of monotheism's intolerance-as a "refusal to divinize victims" and a prohibition of representing the Absolute-and its relevance to politics today, using the mimetic theory of René Girard, the monotheistic scholarship of Jan Assmann et al, and the social theory of Chantal Mouffe"--
Includes bibliographical references (pages 252-269) and index.
Introduction: Monotheism and pluralism -- Pluralism's requisite intolerance -- Girard's mimetic theory and monotheism's ambivalent effects -- Monotheism and the monopoly on violence: Freud and Girard -- Containing violence and two entirely different kinds of religion -- Polytheism and the victim in ancient Egypt -- A political theology of the mosaic distinction: the development of apophatic intolerance -- Jesus Christ and intolerance: toward a revelation without rivalry -- Conclusion: how to be intolerant.
"In a shrinking and globalizing world, with many conflicts stemming from religious and ideological differences, how are we to manage monotheism's potential for inspiring intolerant anti-pluralism?Discussions of monotheism's political consequences often emphasize either its intolerance of other gods and religions as a source of bigotry and conflict, on the one hand, or emphasize monotheism as a source of pacific, universalistic tolerance on the other. But both approaches fail to see the combined danger and liberation in monotheism's "intolerance." I argue that monotheism's intolerance opens up historic potentials that are both crucial to pluralistic coexistence and dangerous: it helped dissolve the ancient link between God and the political sphere and deepened concern for the victims of politics while it also made possible a uniquely absolutist violence. By comparison, polytheistic "tolerance" does not make for a liberating vision of inclusion and diversity. To argue this, I construct an account of monotheism's intolerance-as a "refusal to divinize victims" and a prohibition of representing the Absolute-and its relevance to politics today, using the mimetic theory of René Girard, the monotheistic scholarship of Jan Assmann et al, and the social theory of Chantal Mouffe"--
Monotheism.
Religious tolerance.
Religion and politics.
Monotheism
Religion and politics
Religious tolerance