Humanity’s Penchant for Violence: Patterns of Religious Expressions - Michael Jerryson

Pacific Basin Research Center Presents

Dr. Michael Jerryson - Associate Professor of Religious Studies Youngstown State University

“Humanity’s Penchant for Violence: Patterns of Religious Expressions”

Monday, March 6, 2017 5:00-6:30 p.m.
Maathai 207

This event is free and open to the public.

As long as there have been recorded histories, humanity has engaged in violence. In this macabre social mosaic that pits human against human, religion is a reoccurring justifier. People often identify religion as the penultimate of human aspirations; religious adherents herald their beliefs as a remedy for social problems. While religion has been a force for generosity, empathy, and social justice, it has a darker side as well. There are patterns of thought that excuse the act of killing. Though often invisible, these structures of thought dominate the ways in which we understand and ethicize situations. In this talk, Dr. Jerryson addresses the cognitive patterns that stretch across religious traditions and communities.