Abstract

How should we deal with the Biblical God and his undeniably violent character? How are we to deal with that God of the ambiguous image – a God of violence as well as of love – pictured in the text, the Bible, which is basic to the three main monotheistic religions? How can the philosophical enquiry – i.e. the philosophy of religion – make a concrete contribution to management of conflicts born from a unilateral, violent interpretation of religions? The paper will answer these questions by discussing the »logic« which is at the basis of the several religious fundamentalisms, by analysing the various meanings of the term »identity« and by underlining the interpretative attitude that always characterizes religious experience. According to these arguments only men and women, not God, are in general responsible of the violence performed in God’s name. And religious human being can be properly defined, in particular, as involved in a good relationship with God and other human beings.