Religion, Conflict, and Cooperation Section 1: Introduction Section Iii: History of Religion and Violent Conflict Section Iv: Explaining the Link between Religion and Violent Conflict Section Iv: Religion and Non-violent Conflict

Religion engenders conflict and cooperation. Defining religion is a prerequisite for pondering this paradox. Scholars define religion in several ways (Roberts 2004). Functional definitions focus on what religion does for adherents, such as providing a perspective from which to interpret the world, helping cope with life's trials, and addressing concerns about the purpose of life and eventuality of death. Substantive definitions focus on the essence of religious ideas, particularly beliefs about God, divinities, morals, judgment, and an afterlife. Economists who study religion (e.g. Iannaccone and Berman 2006)favor substantive definitions. In doing so, they rely on the rational choice school of sociologists who study religion (e.g. Stark and Finke 2000). For some in this group, an accepted definition of religion is beliefs, practices, interactions, and exchanges associated with supernatural powers. Though this definition has shortcomings, it allows the apparatus of economic analysis to illuminate connections between religion, cooperation, and conflict. We begin this task by describing an economic approach for thinking about religion. Then, we review historical connections between religion and conflict. Next, we discuss religion and violence in modern times and how the economic approach to religion helps us to understand this relationship. Then, we turn to a discussion of non-violent conflict, such as judicial proceedings and political contests. Finally, we examine how, why, and when religion fosters cooperation, and end this article on a high note, by discussing good things that religion does. The last section discusses areas for future research. Humans are continuously confronted by scarcity, and they are willing to use any means possible, including appeals to the supernatural, to achieve their objectives provided such means 2 are believed to be cost-effective. As long as an individual believes that supernatural appeals have sufficient likelihood of working, requesting supernatural intervention is just another way for her to achieve objectives given an environment with uncertainty. A person can petition supernatural beings in the pursuit of just about any scarce good. This holds for goods that are this-worldly (e.g., farmers praying for rain), as well as for goods that are other-worldly (e.g., dying octogenarians petitioning deities for salvation in the afterlife and entry into Heaven). Economists often take preferences for goods as given. Pioneers in the economics of religion (e.g. Azzi and Ehrenberg 1975) employ this approach by positing desires for other-worldly goods (such as postmortem salvation). There is a lacuna in the literature concerning what people consider to be …