Terror in the Mind of God, the Global Rise of Religious Violence

Juergensmeyer, Mark. Terror in the Mind of God, the Global Rise of Religious Violence. California: University of California Press, 2000. 316 pp.

This study, Terror In The Mind Of God, is an extraordinary work - destined to become a classic on the frightening subject of terrorism in the western and non-western worlds.

Juergensrnyer's study delves into the mind-set of the terrorist with intensive interviews with their leaders, concluding that a "cosmic" struggle now exists between the secular world of the Enlightenment, and religious extremists of all faiths.

According to the author, director of global and international studies at UC Santa Barbara, global terrorism exploits the "dark side of religion" to empower the anti-secularists (pp. 215-224) and to vindicate their actions. But this is only one side of religion; and, unfortunately it is gaining acceptance among the religious fundamentalists, at present.

Terror In The Mind Of God is divided into two parts. The first, consisting of chapters 2-6, covers Christian, Jewish, Moslem, Sikh and Hindu, and Buddhist terrorism. Part two of the study, chapters 7-11, analyzes the "cosmic war," the warriors, the martyrs, and the religious dimensions of their action.

The author concludes, quite optimistically, that normative religion will revive and elevate its spiritual and moral commitment to public life and, thus, co-opt the appeal of the terrorists. I'm not so sure!

This brilliant study is a must read for anyone interested in the struggle against terrorism.

A.J. Abraham John Jay College (CUNY)

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