The Paradox of Religion as Peace-Maker and Contributor to Violence

24 February, 2025

We are deeply honoured to welcome Professor Anantanand Rambachan, Emeritus Professor of Religion, Saint Olaf College, USA, and Co-President of Religions for Peace, to deliver the Johannes Lähnemann Interfaith Peacebuilding Lecture within the framework of the 2025 World Interfaith Harmony Week.

Background
Professor Dr theol. Johannes Lähnemann, Emeritus Chairman of the Peace Education Standing Commission (PESC) of the international movement Religions for Peace (RfP), and Member of the Round Table of Religions in Germany, is the global authority in Inter-Religious Education and Peace Studies. He founded a triennial gathering of theologians, religious scholars, educators, politicians, and cultural workers known as the Nuremberg Forums. Amongst multiple international interreligious initiatives, he started the Interdisciplinary Center for Islamic Religious Education, one of the first German training centres for Islamic religious education teachers. Professor Lähnemann is the recipient of the Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2008), Muhammad Nafi Cheledi Prize (2008), Höffmann Science Prize for Intercultural Competence from the University of Vechta (2013), and INTRA Project Prize for Complementarity of Religions (2014), for his outstanding contribution to Peace and Interreligious Relations worldwide.
In 2023, after delivering a lecture titled No Peace among Nations and Religions without Interreligious Learning and Peace Education! The endeavours of Religions for Peace, Oxford Interfaith Forum instituted the Interfaith Peacebuilding Lecture Series to be delivered annually by distinguished scholars in honour of Prof Lähnemann.
In 2024, at the second Johannes Lähnemann Interfaith Peacebuilding Lecture held in Oxford, Prof Lähnemann presented his monumental work ‘Interreligious Learning and Peace Education: A History of Religions for Peace’. All participants received a free copy of a pre-publication edition (courtesy of Prof Henrike Lähnemann) which has now been published under the title Interreligious and Peace Education in Times of Crisis (pictured below).

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Here are more details of this fascinating event.

Title: The Paradox of Religion as Peace-Maker and Contributor to Violence

Abstract: Peace is a shared aspiration and value in all our religious traditions. No tradition will say that it is not for peace. Peace, however, remains an ever-receding goal in our world. Speaking of peace as a shared value is important, but it does not bring about peace. Our traditions offer us transformative peace-making teachings, but these traditions are located in historical and socio-political contexts. They become intertwined and associated, often willingly, with forces and movements that promote violence by privileging one group and marginalizing others. The rise of religious nationalism in many parts of our world is only one example of an alliance between religion and political forces that is prone to violence. We cannot, therefore, overlook the role of religion in intensifying narrow loyalties, entrenching divisions and providing a justification for violence. We cannot explain away the relationship between religion and violent conflict by the argument that, in all instances, religion is being used or misused for the achievement of power in its various forms. The responsibility of religion in situations of division and conflict must be critically acknowledged. In investigating religion and peace-making our analysis must be hopeful but not simplistic. We must be both self-critical and constructive to lift up the resources of religion for peace-making and the common good. We must make the effort to go deep in our analysis to understand the paradox of religion as both peace-maker and contributor to violence.

Speaker: Professor Anantanand Rambachan, Emeritus Professor of Religion, Saint Olaf College, USA

Speaker’s biography: Prof Anantanand Rambachan is Professor Emeritus of Religion at Saint Olaf College, Minnesota, USA (1985-2021). He was also Forum Humanum Visiting Professor at the Academy for the Study of World Religions at the University of Hamburg in Germany (2013-2017).
Prof Rambachan has been involved in interreligious relations and dialogue for over 40 years, as a Hindu contributor and analyst. He is a Co-President of Religions for Peace, the largest global interfaith network and serves as President of the Board at Arigatou International NY, a global organization advocating for the rights of children and mobilizing the resources of religions to overcome violence against children. He also Chairs the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Multifaith Network. He is active in the dialogue programs of the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue at the Vatican, and currently participates in the Ethics in Action dialogues at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. In 2008, at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Professor Rambachan delivered the Distinguished Lambeth Interfaith Lecture at the Lambeth Palace in London. Professor Rambachan led the first two White House Celebrations of the Hindu Festival of Diwali in 2003 and 2004.
His books include Accomplishing the Accomplished: The Vedas as a Source of Valid Knowledge in Ṡaṅkara; The Limits of Scripture: Vivekananda’s Reinterpretation of the Authority of the Vedas; The Advaita Worldview: God, World and Humanity; A Hindu Theology of Liberation: Not-Two is Not-One; Essays in Hindu Theology, and Pathways to Hindu-Christian Dialogue. In addition, Professor Rambachan has authored numerous book chapters and journal essays. The British Broadcasting Corporation transmitted a series of 25 lectures on Hinduism by Prof Rambachan around the world.

Chair: Professor Dr theol. Johannes Lähnemann, Emeritus Professor and Chair for Religious Education at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.