Conceptualizing the Religious Dimensions of Armed Conflicts: A Response to “Shrouded: Islam, War, and Holy War in Southeast Asia”

Abstract

Here I react to an article published in Volume 53 of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion by Ian Barter and Zatkin-Osburn. My principal disagreement with Barter and Zatkin-Osburn concerns their operational and methodological critiques of my work. However, the exchange also speaks to larger questions of how to conceptualize and measure religious dimensions of armed conflicts. It also highlights the importance of methodological pluralism in the study of religion and conflict.