Story highlights Every day last week witnessed a violent attack on people of faith

Experts on religious violence, though, say it's too soon to predict a trend

(CNN) Whether you believe that religious violence is fueled by faith or is a symptom of larger factors -- political instability, poverty, cultural chaos -- one thing seems clear: Last week was hellish for religion.

Across several continents, including North America, Europe, Asia and Africa, scores of religious believers suffered and died in brutal attacks over the past seven days. Christians, Muslims and Jews alike all fell prey to assaults.

The causes of violence are complex, and reducing them to talking points only adds to the problem, scholars say. But if you want to rally troops to your side, few tools are more powerful than religion, said Michael Jerryson, co-editor of "The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Violence."

"If you can turn a battle into good versus evil, or doing God's will, you will get so much more devotion," he told CNN. "It's a calling that invokes more than the mundane; it raises the stakes."

Experts in religious violence say it's too soon to tell whether last week witnessed more terrorist attacks than usual. It often takes several months, if not longer, to tally all of the assaults in a given period of time.