From al Qaeda to Christian militias to insurgents in Iraq, a strident religious activism has seized the imaginations of political rebels around the world. This book provides a road map through this complex religious terrain. It puts a human face on conflicts that have become increasingly abstract.

Preface and Acknowledgments Introduction: The Rise of Religious Rebellion 1. The Religious Challenge to the Secular State 2. The Front Line of Religious Rebellion: The Middle East 3. Political Targets of Rebellion: South, Central, and Southeast Asia 4. Post-Cold War Rebels: Europe, Asia, and the United States 5. Transnational Networks: Global Jihad 6. The Enduring Problems of Violence, Democracy, and Human Rights Conclusion: Religious Rebellion and Global War Notes List of Interviews Bibliography Index

"This is an indispensable book in helping us understand the new world disorder that seems to be overtaking us. Juergensmeyer points out that much of the world neither understands nor finds attractive the idea of a 'secular state.' He helps us see that religious nationalism is a fact of life that will be with us for a long time to come. Deconstructing any simple notion of 'fundamentalism,' he shows us how it is possible to live with religious nationalism constructively without demonizing it. That is a major achievement."—Robert Bellah, coauthor of Habits of the Heart“For years, Mark Juergensmeyer has served as a kind of Cassandra figure, warning us all about the rise of religious violence, the global reach of religious nationalism, and the challenges posed by new religious identities to the secular nation-state. Now that the world is finally listening, Juergensmeyer remains our best guide in unraveling the complex interplay between religion and politics in the modern world. Global Rebellion once again demonstrates why Juergensmeyer is the foremost authority on the global sociology of religion. This is an awe-inspiring work by arguably the most important thinker on the subject.“ –Reza Aslan, author of No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam