Religious Hatred and Human Conflict focuses the lens of psychodynamic psychology on a phenomenon that often confounds conventional thinking – the intensity of conflict with religious or quasi-religious dimensions. The book highlights six dimensions of religion: identity, doctrine and practice, emotion and experience, mythology, sacred values and power and control, exploring how these can give rise to religious hatred and lead to marginalisation, persecution and even genocide. It also explores reasons for the evolution of religion and religious hatred, and their relationship with human behaviour through contemporary issues such as fundamentalism, martyrdom, clerical narcissism and apocalyptic belief. Acland examines how religious hatred and conflict may be transcended by facilitating processes of dialogue and diapraxis which enable a systematic understanding of prejudices and projections. Last, it offers practical methods and strategies for helping individuals and communities grow beyond the constraints of religious hatred, treating religious hatred as a psycho-spiritual problem that requires self-understanding. Identifying the implications for professionals in conflict resolution and mediation, politicians, community leaders, diplomats and anyone working to prevent or reduce conflict where religious belief is a factor, this book sets out how those tasked with intervening can respond to the challenges involved. It will also be highly relevant reading for students and researchers of psychology and religious studies.

Table of Contents:
PART 1: Contexts and cultures Chapter 1: Beginning, background and biases Chapter 2: Three backstories Conflict resolution and transformation The psychology of religion Psychodynamic psychology Inspirational beginnings: Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung Rehabilitating Jung Beyond Freud and Jung PART 2: What is religious hatred? Chapter 3: Thinking about religious hatred Anatomies of hatred Hatred and evolution Hatred and the Other From hatred to genocide Hatred and thoughtcrime Religion and hatred as addictions Chapter 4: Psychodynamic approaches to religious hatred Complexes Complexes and religious traditions Cultural complexes The Shadow Complexes and Shadows in transmission PART 3: Religious hatred and the dimensions of religion Chapter 5: Six dimensions of religion Dimensions of religion The dimensions of religion, religious hatred and the problem of evil Chapter 6: The identity dimension Religion and identity Conflicting religious identities and the idea of the "Other" The narcissism of small differences The Persona, the Shadow and the Other Chapter 7: The doctrine and practice dimension Religious doctrine and the Golem Effect Fundamentalism Fundamentalism, hatred and violence The psychology of fundamentalist doctrine and practice Groups and group practices Fundamentalism as a form of cultural complex Chapter 8: The emotional and experiential dimension The missing dimension Marks of religious experience Emotions and religious experience The psychology of religious experience Religious hatred and the Divided Self Healing the Divided Self Religious hatred as the failure to individuate Hatred and the Self Chapter 9: The mythological dimension Approaching mythology Social impacts of myth Impacts of myth on individuals Mythology and religious hatred Modern myths Cosmic wars When myth leads to martyrdom The psychology of Armageddon Mythmaking and scapegoating Chapter 10: The sacred values dimension The nature of sacred values Sacred values and personal motivation Valuing sacred values Pseudo-sacred values Secular values that turn sacred Sacred values and religious hatred Sacred values and uncertainty Chapter 11: The power and control dimension The impetus to control Constraints as control Compensatory control Terror Management Theory From control to paranoia Control through clericalism Evolution of religious control PART 4: Working through religious hatred Chapter 12: The search for answers Understanding religion Appreciating the emotional and unconscious Beyond dialogue Re-framing religious hatred as a psychospiritual problem Incorporating the transcendent function The practicalities of conflict resolution: dialogue and diapraxis Diapraxis: process and structures Using the dimensions of religion as a structure for dialogue and diapraxis Afterword References Index