Religion, philosophy and ethics · GCSE Religious Studies

Peace and conflict in depth

GCSE Religious Studies peace and conflict depth: Just War, pacifism, jihad, nuclear weapons, terrorism, and reconciliation beyond the hub topic.

UNDERSTAND→RETRIEVE→REMEMBER
THE MEMORY HOOK
Just War limits killing; pacifism refuses the premise. Jihad has two levels — quote 2:190 and condemn terrorism.

The important bits

What you need to know

  1. 1

    Peace (shalom): not only absence of war but justice and right relationship.

  2. 2

    Just War (Aquinas): jus ad bellum — just cause, lawful authority, right intention, last resort, reasonable success, proportionality; jus in bello — discrimination, proportionality.

  3. 3

    Pacifism: Quakers, Matthew 5:9 peacemakers, turn the other cheek. Critique: what about genocide?

  4. 4

    Holy war: Crusades as disputed Christian memory; not Jesus’ default teaching.

  5. 5

    Jihad: greater (inner struggle) and lesser (armed defence under conditions); Qur’an 2:190 — fight those who fight you, do not transgress.

  6. 6

    Terrorism: violence against civilians for political/religious aim — condemned in mainstream fiqh and Just War.

  7. 7

    Nuclear weapons: fail discrimination; deterrence debate; papal statements increasingly hostile.

  8. 8

    Reconciliation: forgiveness costly; cheap grace rejected; victims’ rights.

Quotations worth analysing

Short evidence. Real method.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Matthew 5:9 (NIV)

Identity claim for peacemaking. Pacifists take as ban on killing; Just War Christians as building just peace.

“Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress.”
Qur’an 2:190 (Sahih International)

Bounded permission. Use against both “Islam is pacifist” and “Islam commands terrorism”.

Go deeper

Apply Just War to a named war

Reciting Latin labels without WWII or Iraq 2003 earns little. Was there just cause? Was discrimination possible?

Go deeper

Nuclear ethics

City-killing weapons fail in bello. Deterrence buys peace by terror — religious ethics uncomfortable with threatening millions of non-combatants.

WORKED EXAMPLE

See the idea in action

Question: is religious violence ever justified? For: Just War defence, Qur’an 2:190. Against: pacifism, terrorism fails all tests, nuclear indiscriminate. Judgement: depends on criterion — Sermon on the Mount vs state security.

Exam technique

Turn knowledge into marks

Define terrorism. Do not waste lines on “one man’s terrorist”.

Common mistakes

Do not give these marks away

  1. 01

    Jihad only as holy war against all non-Muslims.

  2. 02

    All Christians pacifist.

  3. 03

    Just War list without application.

QUICK RETRIEVAL

What is greater jihad in standard GCSE teaching?

AThe inner struggle to live faithfully

BTerrorism against civilians

CThe Crusades

DMandatory annual warfare

Show the answer

The inner struggle to live faithfully. Greater jihad is spiritual struggle; lesser jihad is bounded armed defence. Terrorism is rejected.

Quick questions

If this is the bit you searched

Are Quakers pacifist?

Yes — they refuse to fight. They are a Christian minority, not all Christianity.

What is jus in bello?

Just conduct in war — discrimination (combatants vs civilians) and proportionality.