부산대학교 도서관

Religion is a central element of civil society. In this paper we examine how religious groups generate social capital, or mutual norms of trust and reciprocity, which can then be employed in the political process. Following the trend in the literature we differentiate between bonding (inward looking) and bridging (outward looking) capital. Some scholars have claimed that because religious associational groups generate mostly bonding capital they increase the probability of conflict within society. This proposition is critically examined with an examination of the Boxer Rebellion, 1899-1901. Our findings about the role of religiously generated social capital in both facilitating and mediating violent conflict are directly applicable to a number of current policy questions today, including the conduct of the War on Terror and the treatment of Muslim minority communities in Europe today. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]