The religious factor in conflicts

Abstract

Religions have always been, and still are, an exploited, manipulated, exacerbated and wrongly interpreted factor. Nonetheless, they are, most of the times, central to understanding the causes and explanations of many of the past, ongoing and future wars and conflicts. I will try to frame the importance of this factor in history, in accordance with each geopolitical circumstance, and inasmuch as it is understood, is differentiated and is applied both in society as in the political choices of every state. Finally, I will try to analyze the importance of the public institutions, in particular the Armed Forces, in managing violence and ensuring peace.