This book deconstructs instances of religious conflict within the formative centuries of Christianity. It explores the theoretical foundations of religious conflict; the dynamics of religious conflict within the context of persecution and martyrdom; and the relationship between religious conflict and religious identity.

Reconceiving Religious Conflict deconstructs instances of religious conflict within the formative centuries of Christianity, the first six centuries CE. It explores the theoretical foundations of religious conflict; the dynamics of religious conflict within the context of persecution and martyrdom; the social and moral intersections that undergird the phenomenon of religious conflict; and the relationship between religious conflict and religious identity. It is unique in that it does not solely focus on religious violence as it is physically manifested, but on religious conflict (and tolerance), looking too at dynamics of religious discourse and practice that often precede and accompany overt religious violence.

"It is imperative that we take contemporary social and religious conflict seriously, while cultivating appropriate insights and skills to navigate our way through the storms. We live in times of superdiversity, supermobility and constant change. In such times, social and religious conflict surface with negotiation of identities and boundaries. The formative centuries of Christianity witnessed similar struggles. In this thought provoking book, leading scholars in the field of early Christianity provide fresh perspectives on theoretical aspects for understanding religious conflict along with new insights to help us proceed with ongoing discernment as the tides of change break upon the shores of our social landscape." - Jacobus (Kobus) Kok, Evangelische Theologische Faculteit Leuven, Belgium "Reconceiving Religious Conflict is an excellent addition to the growing body of scholarship on religion and violence. The bibliographies that accompany each chapter are exceptional and include ancient writings that have often been overlooked. At the same time, each chapter includes the application of models and methodologies that help to illuminate a more fine-tuned analysis of this literature. ... Mayer and de Wet's collection enhances both our resources and the application of those resources to the study of religion and violence." - Rebecca I. Denova, University of Pittsburgh, USA