The Concept of Peace in Judaism, Christianity and Islam

The eighth volume of the series 'Key Concepts of Interreligious Discourses' investigates the roots of the concept of 'peace' in Judaism, Christianity and Islam and its relevance for the present time.

Facing present violent conflicts waged and justified by religious ideas or reasons, peace building prevails in current debates about religion and peace. Here the central question is: How may traditional sources in religions help to put down the weapons and create a society in which everyone can live safely without hostilities and the threat of violence? When we take the Sacred Scriptures of Judaism, Christianity and Islam into consideration it becomes obvious that the term 'peace' and its equivalents in Hebrew, Greek and Arabic describe, at first, an ideal state based on the 'love' / 'mercy' of God to his creation. It is a divine gift that brings inward peace to the individuum and outer peace resting upon justice and equality. One main task of Jews, Christian and Muslims in the history is to find out how to bring down this transcendent ideal upon earth.

The volume presents the concept of 'peace' in its different aspects as anchored in the traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It unfolds commonalities and differences between the three monotheistic religions as well as the manifold discourses about peace within these three traditions. The book offers fundamental knowledge about the specific understanding of peace in each one of these traditions, their interdependencies and their relationship to secular world views.

Georges Tamer, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.