Ritual and Violence

Religion performs violence through ritual in symbolic and realistic ways, and as such, ritual has a central place in religious violence. Symbolic violence is often the precursor of real violence because it anticipates, stirs and prepares the individual for an upcoming confrontation. By demonising adversaries, symbolic violence charges the foe with the most repulsive and dangerous qualities which need not to be avoided only but eliminated altogether. Whether performed against an external foe or against an internal suspect, religious violence contains a strong variety of rituals that may impose torture and terror against the intruder, as much as they can impose punishment for defying civic rules or the potentate. (Simion, M.G., 2017, "The ambivalence of ritual in violence: Orthodox Christian perspectives", HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 73(3), a4526. ) (more)

Shannon Schmidt of Harvard Divinity School joins IPSEC as
Research Associate

• Textbook on Research Methodology (9/16/17
• IPSEC Honorary President (9/15/17)
• IPSEC and Romanian Parliament Partnership (12/19/16)

"Why we dont raise!" Plenary speech delivered at the International Religious Liberty Association during the 8th World Congress for Religious Freedom | August 22-24, 2017 Miami (Hollywood), Florida, United States

IPSEC Activity
President's Report

This year, Dr. Marian Gh. Simion’s IPSEC activity was focused on program development, research, consulting and education.

• PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT: In terms of program development, Dr. Simion redesigned IPSEC field education program at Harvard Divinity School.
• RESEARCH: His research activity was centered on the role of ritual in violence and religious pilgrimage in the context of Orthodox theology and culture.
• EDUCATION: Dr. Simion wrote and published an university textbook on qualitative research methodology titled, Research Methodology on Orthodox Peace Studies (in Romanian) at Presa Universitară Clujeană of the Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj Napoca.
• CONSULTATION: As consulting activity, this past May, Dr. Simion joined a group of experts at The Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute in Hague, Netherlands, which held its first consultation on the theme, “Practitioner Exchange Trainers of Courses Addressing the Role of Religion & Secularity in Conflict.” He also delivered a speech, as a plenary keynote speaker, during the 8th World Congress of the International Religious Liberty Association, held last month in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA.

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Holy Russia? Believers debate Putin’s record as a Christian leader (The Long Island Catholic)

Persecuted in Egypt, these Christians fight for a better life in York (Ydr.com)

Romania's Merry Cemetery offers visitors dark humor (San Francisco Chronicle)

For more news about conflicts affecting Orthodox Christians around the world, click here!

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The first part reviews ancient Christian writings, rituals, religious laws, and contemporary writings, for the purpose of identifying the core teachings of the Orthodox Church on violence and peace. The second part explores themes such as ‘evil’ and ‘dualism’ for the purpose of comprehending heretical attitudes that emerged during times of war. Political subjects such as Just War and Nationalism are explored for the purpose of identifying instances when members of the Orthodox Church sanctioned defensive violence and bolstered xenophobia. The third part recommends peacemaking methods applicable to Orthodox Christian settings in light of the tripartite dimension of violence against God, self, and another human being.