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Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence Updated Edition with a New Preface (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "When plastic explosives attached to a Hamas suicide bomber ripped through the gentrified Ben Yehuda shopping mall in Jerusalem in September 1997, the blast damaged..." (more)
Key Phrases: nerve gas incident, abortion clinic staff, cosmic war, United States, Christian Identity, World Trade Center (more...)

4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)

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Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence, 3rd Edition (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society, Vol. 13) 4.2 out of 5 stars (29)
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This dark, enthralling book not only documents the global rise of religious terrorism but seeks to understand the "odd attraction of religion and violence." Juergensmeyer bases his study on scholarly sources, media accounts and personal interviews with convicted terrorists. He exercises caution with the term "terrorist," preferring to emphasize the large religious community of supporters who make violent acts possible rather than the relatively small number who carry them out. Juergensmeyer identifies certain "cultures of violence" via case studies along the spectrum of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. Such religious communities often perceive themselves and their way of life as under attack. In Japan, for example, a new branch of "socially prophetic" Buddhists released toxic sarin gas in the Tokyo subway system in 1995, shattering their own nonviolent ethic and harming thousands because they had adopted millenarian prophecies about an imminent end to the world. Juergensmeyer is a powerful, skillful writer whose deeply empathic interviewing techniques allow readers to enter the minds of some of the late 20th century's most feared religious terrorists. Yet he is also a sensitive scholar who aptly dissects religious terrorism as a sociological phenomenon. Later chapters pay special attention to issues of "performance violence," enemy formation, martyrology, satanization and "images of cosmic confrontation." (Feb.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From The Washington Post

"[an] excellent illustration of the beneficent side of the multiculturalism that has swept academia in the last couple of decades." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

Paperback: 332 pages
Publisher: University of California Press; Updated edition (September 21, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0520232062
ISBN-13: 978-0520232068
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds

Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #757,796 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
When plastic explosives attached to a Hamas suicide bomber ripped through the gentrified Ben Yehuda shopping mall in Jerusalem in September 1997, the blast damaged not only lives and property but also the confidence with which most people view the world. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
nerve gas incident, abortion clinic staff, cosmic war, symbolic empowerment, religious terrorism, performance violence, nerve gas attack, religious activists, clinic bombings, religious violence, bombing abortion clinics

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, Christian Identity, World Trade Center, Aum Shinrikyo, Oklahoma City, West Bank, Michael Bray, Sinn F�in, Sheik Omar Abdul Rahman, Baruch Goldstein, Beant Singh, Mahmud Abouhalima, New York City, Indira Gandhi, Mike Bray, Paul Hill, Tomb of the Patriarchs, Yitzhak Rabin, Shoko Asahara, Tel Aviv, Yoel Lerner, Ian Paisley, Yigal Amir, Middle East, The Turner Diaries

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 100 books:

The Golden Temple (Panjab heritage series) by Mohinder Singh on 10 pages
Golden Temple by Patwant Singh on 10 pages
Inside Terrorist Organizations (Cass Series on Political Violence) by David Rapoport on 6 pages
Political Violence (Collected Seminar Papers - University of London, Institute o) by University Of London on 6 pages
The Turner Diaries: A Novel by Andrew MacDonald on 6 pages

See all 100 books this book cites

100 books cite this book:

Captain America and the Crusade against Evil: The Dilemma of Zealous Nationalism by John Shelton Lawrence on 4 pages
Religion in International Relations: The Return from Exile (Culture and Religion in International Relations) by Fabio Petito on 4 pages
Captain America and the Crusade Against Evil: The Dilemma of Zealous Nationalism by Mr. Robert Jewett on 4 pages
Religion and Conflict in South and South-East Asia: Disrupting Violence (Asian Security Studies) by Linell E. Cady on 4 pages
Religion in International Relations: The Return from Exile (Culture and Religion in International Relations) by Fabio Petito in Front Matter, page 50, and page 103

See all 100 books citing this book

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Inside Terrorism by Bruce Hoffman

Discusses:

Terror in the Name of God by Jessica Stern

Discusses:

Understanding Terrorism by C. (Clarence) Augustus (Gus) Martin

Discusses:

The End of Days by Gershom Gorenberg

Discusses:

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Customer Reviews

29 Reviews

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4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (29 customer reviews)

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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a compelling exploration of modern religious violence, April 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society) (Hardcover)

This compelling and deeply insightful book, obviously misread by the previous reviewer, does not attempt to advance a hypothesis about the causal origins of religious activism. It does, however, place the rise of religious activism within the context of globalization. Since nearly all of the spokespersons of the movements themselves rail against the global forces of secularism, this seems a reasonable context indeed. This is an excellent piece of work.

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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read in the Post September 11,2001 World, September 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society) (Hardcover)

When the tragic events of September 11th occured, the onslaught of media coverage made me want to search for a objective discussion of these terrorist acts. This book certainly met my expectations. The author studies not just Islamic groups but Christian, Buddhist and Sikh as well. It is eerie when you read descriptions of the 1993 bombing of the WTC and the authors analysis as to why this structure was picked. In fact, the author clearly describes the terrorist goal of complete destruction of the towers and its impact on the Amercian population. All this two years before the actual event.

Its a rational discussion without the hysteria and flag waving of the media. It allows the reader to read and let the meaning of the last few weeks sink in. I highly recommend this book.

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32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and extremely frightening, April 8, 2002

By	E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

"I will send my terror before you, and will throw into confusion all the people..." (Exodus 23:27).

This book sets out to explore why, in a few extreme instances, religion is used to justify terrorism. "Terror in the Mind of God" was published in 2000, before the destruction of the World Trade Center towers, but it is extremely relevant to today's headlines. The psyche of suicide bombers is explored, and the men who send them to their deaths are interviewed. The author also interviews actual terrorists (and/or their close associates) who perpetrated many acts of murder and destruction within the last two decades

The cultures of violence that the author treats in depth are: "Soldiers for Christ;" "Zion Betrayed (Judaism);" "Islam's `Neglected Duty';" "The Sword of Sikhism;" and "Armageddon in a Tokyo Subway (Buddhism)."

In the last five chapters of this book, the author attempts to explain the logic of religious violence. He maintains a very non-judgmental, even tone even when explaining the reasons behind the grisliest acts of terror. It was spooky to find myself nodding my head at Juergensmeyer's explanations of the terrorists' logic; `okay, so that's why they did it.' Taking a teen-ager who feels he has nothing to live for and everything to die for, and turning him into a human bomb seems like a relatively simple task for a religious zealot, now that I've read this book.

Fascinating and extremely frightening.

In one of the most interesting and hopeful parts of the book, Juergensmeyer turns his thesis on its head, and suggests that, "the entrance of religion into public life would help to leaven these negative influences [the use of terror to promote a religion]. Several thoughtful observers of Western society have suggested that indeed it might---if religion could enter the public arena in an undogmatic and unobtrusive way....what religion provides society is not just high-mindedness, but also a concern with the quality of life---a goal more ennobling than the simple accretion of power and possessions."

This book could change all of our lives, if we let it.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Disturbing
Although history is replete with Crusades, Jihads, Holy Wars, etc. it still stymies me how, otherwise intelligent people can slaughter each other and bring chaos to thousands,... Read more

Published 20 months ago by M. S. Whitmore

3.0 out of 5 stars Religion and violence are not linked always
The thesis of this book is that religion and violence are always linked and that all religions are the same in having a violent strain and that all religions have violence in them... Read more

Published on December 20, 2006 by Seth J. Frantzman

5.0 out of 5 stars Survey of Religious terrorism
Excellent book covering all the major religions and their terrorists. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a scholarly survey or someone looking to make more sense of... Read more

Published on February 27, 2006 by Daryl DeSimone

5.0 out of 5 stars Juergensmeyer has done his research!
This book is being used in a Terrorism seminar class that I am taking and for good reason. Juergensmeyer does not rely wholly on second hand information but has actually visited... Read more

Published on October 11, 2005 by C. Gilbert

5.0 out of 5 stars Religion and Violence in a postmodern context
As a comparative cultural study of religious terrorism, Mark Juergensmeyer attempts to explain how and why religion and violence are linked. Read more

Published on June 9, 2005 by Andrew Lumpkin

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehending the nearly incomprehensible
Attempts a cohesive sociological analysis of the putative causal relationship of religious piety and extreme violence, on the premise that it is crucially important that we know... Read more

Published on September 14, 2004 by Todd I. Stark

4.0 out of 5 stars Mission from God
Juergensmeyer attempts in this book to find common ground in religious terrorists of many different stripes. Read more

Published on April 3, 2004 by Charles Miller

4.0 out of 5 stars Not all-inclusive, but still very important
I'll keep this review short as the thoughts below cover a wide range of relevant points about this book...

First of all... Read more

Published on March 28, 2004 by Lee L.

5.0 out of 5 stars Corrects the Neglect of Sikh Religious Violence
Juergensmeyer's book serves to remedy the undeserved neglect Sikh religious violence has received from the plethora of books on religious extremism published since 9/11. Read more

Published on December 17, 2003 by Puneet S. Lamba

1.0 out of 5 stars Misses the Mark
Focusing on so-called "religious" violence is a bit off the mark in the twenty-first century. Read more

Published on November 29, 2003

› See all 29 customer reviews...

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