Since the end of the Cold War, there has been an increased interest in the role of religion in world politics. Notably, when it comes to discussions of religion and violence, many studies have focused on non-state actors rather than the nexus between religion and state violence. This paper argues that even though states may pursue a range of ostensibly secular interests, religion nonetheless often plays an important role with regard to the legitimation of state violence. Regardless of how cultures develop, modernise or even secularise, the influence of religion remains: it is sometimes subtle, sometimes secularised and often alongside secular arguments, but unmistakeably present. This paper is structured around three brief case studies of states which demonstrate the important role of religion with regard to the justification of state violence: Israel, the USA and Iran.
