Killing for Religion

“In clear, concise, and taut prose, Schwalbe’s analysis of how the values and philosophic underpinnings of the great religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shinto shape the motivations and expression of conflict amongst their adherents provides essential guidance for military, diplomatic, and intelligence professionals deploying to South and East Asia as well as more casual readers interested in understanding conflict in Asia. Recommended for the national-security workforce and its professional-development programs.”


—Gary Schaub Jr., University of Copenhagen





“The results of fundamentalist thinking, self-justifying proof-texting, and promulgating decontextualized teachings taking form in such horrors as acts of terrorism, state-sanctioned murder and genocide, and wholesale international warfare are made plain in Schwalbe’s analysis. This volume . . . has yielded an important and useful handbook in understanding how such rhetoric seeks and finds divine permission within Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shinto. Herein is provided an important treatment of a difficult and controversial topic, and Schwalbe is to be commended for his efforts!”


—Phillip A. Bernhardt-House, Skagit Valley College