Mapping the Terrain The Role of Religion in Peacemaking

The document examines religion as a multifaceted phenomenon—comprising normative systems, identities, and organisational structures—and evaluates its dual potential to both fuel and resolve armed conflict. It argues that while religion is rarely the sole cause of war, it often perpetuates conflict by hardening identity boundaries. The authors propose a typology of peace brokerage (Liaison, Representative, and Coordinator) and emphasize that successful peacemaking requires 'religious awareness,' including the use of a 'Language of the Second Order' to transcend confessional boundaries. The paper concludes that religious actors are particularly suited for Track-Two diplomacy due to their grassroots and international networks, but warns that excluding religiously identified parties from formal processes can create 'spoiler groups.'

• Religion functions as a multifaceted phenomenon consisting of three primary aspects: a normative system that provides a directive for believers, an identity that offers a sense of belonging, and an organisational structure that facilitates interaction with other entities.
• Religious normative systems exist on a continuum from dogmatic to open; open systems are more conducive to dialogue and identifying commonalities, whereas dogmatic systems can be more rigid and less open to compromise.
• Religion often acts as a reinforcing factor rather than a root cause of conflict, particularly by strengthening national identities through religiously rooted fault lines and perpetuating violence once it has begun.
• Religious actors are often most effective in Track-Two diplomacy, especially in early peace process stages, because they can access both grassroots constituencies and top leadership levels.
• The exclusion of religiously identified parties from peace processes can lead to the creation of 'spoiler groups' who oppose and violate agreements, as seen with Hamas and radical Jewish settlers regarding the 1993 Oslo Accords.
• Effective communication in religiously charged conflicts may require a 'Language of the Second Order,' which is a level of communication that transcends specific religious or secular boundaries to find common narratives.
• The authors identify three brokerage templates based on the identity of the broker (B) and the parties (X, Y): the Liaison (broker is an outsider to both), the Representative (broker shares identity with one party), and the Coordinator (broker shares identity with both parties).
• Religious organisations can leverage multi-level networks, from local to international, to mobilise resources and protect individuals, as demonstrated by the Catholic Church's actions in Angola in 1998.
• Peace brokers may be perceived in religious terms by conflict parties even if the broker is a secular diplomatic actor, necessitating active monitoring of these perceptions.

APA

Harpviken, K. B., & Røislien, H. E. (2005). Mapping the Terrain The Role of Religion in Peacemaking. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a05f463c-7057-43ba-912a-19e049b041bc/Mapping the Terrain The Role of Religion in Peacemaking.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Harpviken, Kristian Berg, and Hanne Eggen Røislien. Mapping the Terrain The Role of Religion in Peacemaking. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2005. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a05f463c-7057-43ba-912a-19e049b041bc/Mapping the Terrain The Role of Religion in Peacemaking.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Harpviken |first1=Kristian Berg |last2=Røislien |first2=Hanne Eggen |title=Mapping the Terrain The Role of Religion in Peacemaking |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=July 2005 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a05f463c-7057-43ba-912a-19e049b041bc/Mapping the Terrain The Role of Religion in Peacemaking.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{harpviken2005mapping, author = {Harpviken, Kristian Berg and Røislien, Hanne Eggen}, title = {{Mapping the Terrain The Role of Religion in Peacemaking}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2005}, month = jul, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a05f463c-7057-43ba-912a-19e049b041bc/Mapping the Terrain The Role of Religion in Peacemaking.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }