My assumption has been that religious wars mostly use religion as a surrogate for territorial, ethnic, and economic interest groups. On the other hand, religion somewhat shapes ethnic groups. Still, I that those wars are driven (at the top—everyone else is stuck with the war whether they want it or not, and are likely to be influences by propaganda—by “Because we’re us!” much more than by “Because God wills it! (see elaborate argument for what God wants)”.
My assumption has been that religious wars mostly use religion as a surrogate for territorial, ethnic, and economic interest groups. On the other hand, religion somewhat shapes ethnic groups. Still, I that those wars are driven (at the top—everyone else is stuck with the war whether they want it or not, and are likely to be influences by propaganda—by “Because we’re us!” much more than by “Because God wills it! (see elaborate argument for what God wants)”.