Briefly identify the key components for understanding Mark Juergensmeyer’s theory of understanding religious violence as theatre.

Question

Requirement: 2 paragraphs of 250 words

Answer 1

Juergensmeyer's theory of understanding of religious violence as theatre stems from his beliefs that violence is linked to religion and how it is used for strategy in war and heavily relies on symbolistic purposes. In theoretical arguments for his ideas, religion legitimizes violence. In other words, violence is part and parcel of the religious beliefs and proselytism of those ideologies. The whole point of understanding violence is knowing that the theatre of war intends to portray or show how religious ideology begets violence. Violence then becomes a theatrical tool to imply to the audience that there exists some form of religious infallibility or inequity.