The Cambridge Companion to Religion and Terrorism

Does religion cause terrorism? This volume presents a range of theories and case studies that address this important issue.

James R. Lewis (Edited by)

9781316505625, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 25 July 2017

278 pages
22.7 x 15.3 x 1.5 cm, 0.41 kg

'… this is an excellent collection … will be attractive to a general readership interested in acquiring a deeper understanding of terrorism and, especially, of the religion-terrorism nexus.' Zhang Xinzhang, Numen: International Review for the History of Religions

There is currently much discussion regarding the causes of terrorist acts, as well as the connection between terrorism and religion. Terrorism is attributed either to religious 'fanaticism' or, alternately, to political and economic factors, with religion more or less dismissed as a secondary factor. The Cambridge Companion to Religion and Terrorism examines this complex relationship between religion and terrorism phenomenon through a collection of essays freshly written for this volume. Bringing varying approaches to the topic, from the theoretical to the empirical, the Companion includes an array of subjects, such as radicalization, suicide bombing, and rational choice, as well as specific case studies. The result is a richly textured collection that prompts readers to critically consider the cluster of phenomena that we have come to refer to as 'terrorism,' and terrorism's relationship with the similarly problematic set of phenomena that we call 'religion.'

1. Does religion cause terrorism? Mark Juergensmeyer
2. Religion, violence, nonsense, and power William T. Cavanaugh
3. Discounting religion in the explanation of homegrown terrorism: a critique Lorne L. Dawson
4. Religion, radicalization, and the causes of terrorism Tom Mills and David Miller
5. The role of the devoted actor in war, revolution, and terrorism Scott Atran
6. Girard on apocalypse and terrorism Espen Dahl
7. Rational choice and religious terrorism: its bases, applications, and future directions Stephen Nemeth
8. Terror as sacrificial ritual? A discussion of (neo-) Durkheimian approaches to suicide bombing Lorenz Graitl
9. Imitations of terror: applying a retro style of analysis to the religion-terrorism nexus James R. Lewis
10. The LTTE: a non-religious, political, martial movement for establishing the right of self-determination of ?lattamils Peter Schalk
11. The role of religion in al-Qaeda's violence Pieter Nanninga
12. Meanings of savagery: terror, religion, and the Islamic State Pieter Nanninga
13. Where's Charlie? The discourse of religious violence in France post 7/1 2015 Per-Erik Nilsson
14. Understanding the threat of the Islamic State in contemporary Kyrgyzstan Meerim Aitkulova
15. Terror and the screen: keeping the relationship of good and bad virtual Christopher Hartney
16. Understanding Falun Gong's martyrdom strategy as spiritual terrorism James R. Lewis and Nicole S. Ruskell.

Subject Areas: Religious intolerance, persecution & conflict [HRAM9], Religion & politics [HRAM2], Religious issues & debates [HRAM], Religion: general [HRA]