The Influence of Religion and Ethnonationalism on Public Attitudes towards Amnesty: Northern Ireland as a Case Study

Abstract

The granting of amnesties has now become a cornerstone of peacebuilding efforts in societies emerging from conflict. Yet, the impact of the role of religion and ethnicity in determining attitudes towards such arrangements has not been empirically assessed. Mindful of this omission, this article investigates the relationship between a range of religious measures-religious practices and beliefs in and about God-and ethnonationalist identity on public attitudes toward amnesty in Northern Ireland. Based on nationally representative survey data, the results suggest that although Protestants are significantly more opposed to such an initiative than Catholics, both religious beliefs and ethnonational identity are significant, albeit divergent, net predictors with respect to their differing views.

Towards an (Im)possible Politics of Forgiveness? Considering the Complexities of Religion, Race and Politics in South Africa

“…Gobodo-Madikizela & Van der Merwe, 2009;Lephakga, 2016;Vosloo, 2015;. For example, John Brewer 5 has advocated for the use of "mercy" instead of forgiveness (Brewer & Hayes, 2016). His contention is that discourses of forgiveness are too contingent on the actions of the offending party, and the expectation of grace on the part of offended party is frequently unreasonable.…”