Religious War, Religious Peace

In our post-9/11 world, religion is often seen as one of the most divisive forces. And for good reason. Religious extremism drives conflicts from Afghanistan to Iraq, fuels terrorism from Europe to Sri Lanka, and makes enemies of Israelis and Arabs.

And yet, says scholar Alan Wolfe, the world is not headed for a new era of religious wars. Quite the opposite. Around the world, he points to a decline in religious extremism as societies modernize and become more secular.

This hour, On Point: religion, secularization, and the coming era of religious peace.Guests:

Alan Wolfe, professor of political science and founding director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College, he is the author of many books, including "The Transformation of American Religion." His article on "the coming religious peace" appears in the March issue of The Atlantic.

Martin Marty, professor emeritus of religion at the University of Chicago, and a Lutheran pastor, he is the author of more than 50 books, most recently "The Christian World: A Global History."

Daniel Philpott, associate professor of political science and a faculty fellow of the Joan B. Kroc Institute of International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame, he studies the role of religion in global politics.