Introduction
At first glance, the conflict in Northern Ireland during the late twentieth century pitted Catholics against Protestants in a violent sectarian struggle.
But the role of religion was, in fact, much more nuanced.
The conflict was not a religious war; most religious leaders on both sides consistently opposed violence; the political views of many leaders and all of the major parties were grounded in economic and political calculations; and religious doctrine was never really at stake.
Instead, religion served primarily as a marker of national identity.
Protestant Ulster unionists sought to maintain the status of Northern Ireland as a part of the United Kingdom, and Catholic Irish nationalists wanted to unite it with the Republic of Ireland. Religious leaders on both sides of the conflict had some political and moral authority but also had to contend with political, economic, paramilitary, and other local elites concerned about maintaining and extending their influence. While faith communities and their leaders contributed to the successful completion of the 1998 Belfast Agreement (commonly known as the Good Friday Agreement) that put an end to major hostilities, domestic, international, and deeper socioeconomic forces played a more decisive role. The Northern Ireland case demonstrates not only how religious identity can exacerbate a conflict, but also how religious actors can use their authority to promote reconciliation in practice.