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Title: Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence by Mark Juergensmeyer ISBN: 0-520-24011-1 Publisher: University of California Press Pub. Date: 01 September, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.09 (23 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Explains violence in the name of God
Comment: Juergensmeyer offers a cultural and ideological analysis of the emergence of global religious violence that is today championed by communities that foster "cultures of violence" and terror. Chapter-length journalistic case studies explore Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Sikh, and Aum Shinrikyo religious terrorism. The author interprets religiously motivated acts of mind-numbing violence that lack a clear military objective as theater, especially timed, scripted, and staged against the symbols of political or financial power such as The World Trade Center or The Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. True believers wage a cosmic war as a defense of the faith where defeat is unthinkable. They adopt rites of violence and commit themselves to heroic acts of martyrdom and the destruction of their demonized enemies. The chapter "Warrior Power" employs a psychoanalytic view of terrorist careers as a means to symbolic empowerment for groups of marginalized young men who face uncertain paths to manhood, sexual identity, and conventional lives. This books offers chilling insight into the worldview of disparate cultures of religious violence, the inevitability of such cosmic battles, and the unending fanaticism of true believers. The author's conclusion, however, fails to persuade that new forms of religion may arise to cure religious violence. All levels.
Rating: 4
Summary: Mission from God
Comment: Juergensmeyer attempts in this book to find common ground in religious terrorists of many different stripes. His begins by looking at terrorists from five religious groups--Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, and Buddhism. His Buddhist example, the Aum Shinrikyo cult attack on the Tokyo subway system is probably the weakest example. He may have been better served to have a separate section on cults such as this and others like the Branch Davidians. They seem to have as much in common with each other as with other groups within their religions.
He next looks for common themes from all of his examples. He does well when he explains how all of the terrorists believe they are warriors in a larger cosmic drama of good and evil. He does less well in separating the parts played by religion and politics. For example, was Timothy McVeigh a religious terrorist or a political terrorist?
All in all, this is an engrossing, if disturbing study. We are left feeling that there will be little relief from religious terrorism in the near future. Those seeking more insight on this subject should read "Under the Banner of Heaven" by Jon Krakauer, which examines these topics among Mormon Fundamentalists.
Rating: 4
Summary: Not all-inclusive, but still very important
Comment: I'll keep this review short as the thoughts below cover a wide range of relevant points about this book...
First of all...no single book will be able to adequately cover the topic of terrorism. That in mind, this book has its flaws and misses some things, but I think it is a valuable part of the literature on terrorism. This shouldn't be the only book on terrorism you read, but it should be one of them.
Lastly, this book is written as a political science book. It is a comparative case study approach to terrorism. That's what separates it from a lot of the books on terrorism that are out there these days, so you shouldn't expect ideology-based writing here. The author starts of with some assumptions, and works towards explaining them. That said...this is a very good book. I hope many people get the chance to read it.
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Title: When Religion Becomes Evil : Five Warning Signs by Charles Kimball ISBN: 0060556102 Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco Pub. Date: 02 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Gandhi's Way: A Handbook of Conflict Resolution by Mark Juergensmeyer ISBN: 0520223446 Publisher: University of California Press Pub. Date: 04 February, 2002 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill by Jessica Stern ISBN: 006050532X Publisher: Ecco Pub. Date: 14 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: Origins of Terrorism: Psychologies, Ideologies, Theologies, States of Mind by Walter Reich ISBN: 0943875897 Publisher: Woodrow Wilson Center Press Pub. Date: 01 September, 1998 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: Inside Terrorism by Bruce Hoffman ISBN: 0231114699 Publisher: Columbia University Press Pub. Date: 15 April, 1999 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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