Faith-based Radicalism: Christianity, Islam and Judaism Between Constructive Activism and Destructive FanaticismChristiane Timmerman Terror attacks against Western symbols of power, suicide terrorism in Chechnya, or bombing of abortion clinics in the United States: these are a few of the violent religious outbursts that the media never seem to stop broadcasting. While these outbursts are mostly linked to Islamic extremism, it should however be acknowledged that every religion has its own violent side. Despite all the events the media are too prompt to show us, it would be dishonest and insensible not to accept that every religion has also a potential for religious peace building and communal renewal. How, can it be explained then, that religions sometimes react violently against the society surrounding them by trying to overthrow it, while at some other times they willingly help and try to build a better world for everyone? The University Centre Saint-Ignatius Antwerp organised an interdisciplinary summer seminar in September 2005 and gathered senior scholars - all experts in their own fields - and junior scholars - who will be the experts of tomorrow - from all over the world, to discuss these burning issues. The seminar focused on miscellaneous topics all pointing towards the question of religion and society; like literalism and the Holy texts, the ambivalence of faith-based radicalism, the psychology of religion and terrorism, nationalism and religion and religious social movements. |
Contents
Introduction | 9 |
Nationalism and Religion in a Globalising World | 25 |
Framing Faithbased Radicalism in the Context | 43 |
Sacred Terror Insights into the Psychology | 53 |
An Economic Approach to Religious Extremism | 71 |
Judaism and the Challenge of Sacred Text | 91 |
Islamic Radicalism the Quran and the Modern World | 101 |
Radical Christian Writings | 115 |
Reflection on the Limits of Religious | 181 |
Countering Islamist Militancy An Epidemiologic Approach | 191 |
Fundamentalism Psychology and the European Threat | 207 |
Christian Nationalism and American Unilateralism | 219 |
Radical Dreams and Political Realities | 233 |
The Orthodox Church and Religious Nationalism | 255 |
Peace Building Resources and Obstacles | 265 |
Islamism Radicalism and Jihad | 275 |
The Question of Salvation and Faithbased Radicalism | 131 |
The Tyranny of Caprice Absolutism and Relativism | 139 |
Faith Development and a Way beyond Fundamentalism | 151 |
Religious Cognitive Styles and Ethnocentrism | 169 |
Public Mobilisation of Islam in Europe Possible Outcomes | 293 |
Contributors | 307 |
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Common terms and phrases
According action activities actors American approach attitude authority become behaviour believers building Bulgarian called century Christian Christian Right Church civil society concept concerns constructive contemporary context cultural democracy doctrinal early economic effect Europe European example extremism fact faith faith-based radicalism force forms fundamentalism fundamentalist global groups human ideas identity ideology important individual institutions interpretation Islamic Islamist issues jihad liberation live London major means militant moral motivated movement Muslim nationalism organisation Orthodox Church particular peace person perspective political positive possible practice present problem Psychology question radical radicalisation refer regard religion religious Right role secular sense social strictness styles suicide terrorism terrorist theology theory tion tradition truth turn understanding University University Press values violence York