Reforming and Reinterpreting the Faith: Ahmadiyya Perspective on the Theology and Practice of Jihad

Abstract

Religion, despite the attempts of postmodern and Marxist polemicists, has maintained a strong hold on human society. It is often the central feature around which social life is organized in most contemporary social formations. In every religion as well as every secular philosophy there is a plurality of interpretations that exist at any given point of time. These differential religious understandings often contribute towards the creation of numerous subaltern interpretations within a dominant one. These multiple views within any religion lead to contention, each contending group trying to prove their understanding as authentic and true. These contestations often lead to volatility in religious debates resulting in sectarian violence. As argued by Casanova (1994; Pp. 3-10) and Turner (2010; Pp. 1-3) religion appears to be an increasingly important component of public culture rather than a matter of private belief and practice.