There is currently much discussion regarding the causes of terrorist acts, as well as the connection between terrorism and religion. Terrorism is attributed either to religious 'fanaticism' or, alternately, to political and economic factors, with religion more or less dismissed as a secondary factor. The Cambridge Companion to Religion and Terrorism examines this complex relationship between religion and terrorism phenomenon through a collection of essays freshly written for this volume. Bringing varying approaches to the topic, from the theoretical to the empirical, the Companion includes an array of subjects, such as radicalization, suicide bombing, and rational choice, as well as specific case studies. The result is a richly textured collection that prompts readers to critically consider the cluster of phenomena that we have come to refer to as 'terrorism,' and terrorism's relationship with the similarly problematic set of phenomena that we call 'religion.'

Does religion cause terrorism? This volume presents a range of theories and case studies that address this important issue.

About the Author
James R. Lewis is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Tromso, Norway. A scholar of New Religious Movements, he currently edits or co-edits three book series and is the general editor for the Alternative Spirituality and Religion Review. Recent publications include Violence and New Religious Movements (2011), Sacred Suicide (2014, with Carole Cusack), Cults: A Reference and Guide (2014), The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements: Volume II (2015, with Inga B. Tollefsen), and The Invention of Satanism (2016, with Asbjorn Dyrendal and Jesper Petersen).

Reviews
'... these essays bring diverse and provocative angles of vision to anyone who would want to investigate the complex relationships between religion and terrorism or the broader field of religion and violence.' Nova Religio
'... this is an excellent collection ... will be attractive to a general readership interested in acquiring a deeper understanding of terrorism and, especially, of the religion-terrorism nexus.' Zhang Xinzhang, Numen: International Review for the History of Religions



Book Information
ISBN 9781316505625
Author James R. Lewis
Format Paperback
Page Count 278
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 410g
Dimensions(mm) 227mm * 153mm * 15mm