FAITH AND WAR War was not the origin of the nation, but often enough its catalyst. From the very beginning nations have been able to find their identity through delimitation and enmity toward neighbouring countries. They defined themselves through contrast and contradistinction and thus evolved an idea of their own self-identity. It was the decisive victories, but above all the heroic defeats, the courage and the readiness to sacrifice on the part of both individuals and the people as a whole which were glorified in the overall design of national history. And it was through wars and battles, victories and defeats, heroes and victims, that national concord and unity were evoked as the guarantee for independence, sovereignty and freedom. These were the things worth fighting and dying for – and there was no end to the reminders in both word and illustration calling for such independence. A basic condition for the unity, but also for the differences between the European nations was Christianity. The reference to Christianity as the pre-eminent Western religion explains for its part the sometimes fanciful and obsessive perception of Islam as the danger and enemy par excellence. Belief did not always unify the nations, however. As the example of Germany drastically demonstrates, faith was also able to divide nations and lead them into war. |
