Why would anybody believe that God could sanction terrorism? Why has the rediscovery of religion's power in recent years manifested in such a bloody way? What, if anything, can be done about it? This book answers these questions and more. It analyzes in detail terrorism related to almost all the world's major religious traditions.

Preface and Acknowledgments 1. Introduction: Terror and God The Meaning of Religious Terrorism Seeing Inside Cultures of Violence PART ONE. CULTURES OF VIOLENCE 2. Soldiers for Christ Anders Breivik, Defender of Christendom Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Federal Building Bombing Michael Bray and Abortion Clinic Bombings Christian Justifi cations for Violence Ian Paisley and the Troubles in Belfast 3. Zion Betrayed Meir Ettinger, the Ghost of Meir Kahane Yoel Lerner and the Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin Baruch Goldstein's Attack at the Tomb of the Patriarchs 4. Islam's "Neglected Duty" Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Caliph of ISIS Mahmud Abouhalima and the World Trade Center Bombing Abdul Aziz Rantisi and Hamas Suicide Missions Modern Islamic Justifi cations for Violence 5. The Spear of Shiva, the Sword of Sikhism Maya Kodnani and the Gujarat Massacre Simranjit Singh Mann and the Lure of Khalistan Hindu and Sikh Justifi cations for Violence 6. Buddhist Faces of Terror Ashin Wirathu and the Defense of Burmese Buddhism Takeshi Nakamura and the Aum Shinrikyo Assault Can Buddhist Violence Be Justified? PART TWO. THE LOGIC OF RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE 7. Theater of Terror Performance Violence Setting the Stage A Time to Kill Reaching the Audience 8. Cosmic War Grand Scenarios Symbolic War When Symbols Become Deadly 9. Martyrs and Demons Sacrificial Victims The Invention of Enemies America as Enemy Satanization and the Stages of Empowerment 10. Warriors' Power Empowering Marginal Men Why Guys Throw Bombs Fighting for the Rule of God 11. The Mind of God Empowering Religion Postmodern Terror Curing Violence Healing Politics with Religion Notes List of Interviews and Correspondence Selected Bibliography Index

"By studying different 'cultures of violence' Mark Juergensmeyer has provided a plausible and imaginative interpretation of this phenomenon. He presents a lucid and compelling argument that does not belittle or demonize its subjects. This is an important contribution to our knowledge of the relationship between religion and violence."—Martha Crenshaw, editor of Terrorism in Context "In this important book Juergensmeyer argues that the violence associated with religion is not an aberration but comes from the fundamental structures of the belief system of all major religions. Juergensmeyer has achieved what very few scholars can do with much success, providing an insightful analysis of the function of religion in national and international life while moving in broad sweeps from culture to culture and continent to continent."—Ainslie T. Embree, former cultural attaché, United States Embassy, New Delhi "Half of the world's thirty most dangerous terrorist groups claim religion as their motivation. How can the word of God sanction acts of terror against human beings? How can violence become a sacred duty? These are the questions at the heart of Mark Juergensmeyer's calm, lucid, insightful and compassionate book. What sets it apart is Juergensmeyer's dedicated attempt to talk to former terrorists and work his way into their state of mind. His book shines light on the dark places from which terror springs."—Michael Ignatieff, author of The Warrior's Honour: Ethnic War and the Modern Conscience