Holy War

views updated May 18 2018

HOLY WAR

Armed struggle undertaken in the name of God, accompanied by promises of spiritual rewards. In current Western discourse, the Arabic term jihad (struggle) is sometimes taken to have this meaning exclusively, although in Islam the word most often refers to the struggle to create a more just social order (the "lesser jihad"), or the personal struggle with the self to be a better Muslim (the "greater jihad").

SEE ALSO Jihad.

Dictionary of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Holy war

views updated May 18 2018

Holy war. Categorization of warfare in several religions (e.g. jihād, crusades), the war envisaged in the book of Deuteronomy. It is distinct from the just war, though they may overlap.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions JOHN BOWKER

holy war

views updated May 17 2018

ho·ly war • n. a war declared or waged in support of a religious cause.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

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