The reason I picked this book is because I have always been curious about terrorism. Truthfully, I really didnt expect the book to take the stance it did, which focused mainly on the religious implications of what influences people to commits acts of terror. I liked the fact that the book takes new angles in approaching the search for truth, by focusing on case studies and performing interviews with the people who have committed terrorist acts. This is like getting the insiders view of the inner workings and frame of mind people have before, during, and after they have unswervingly performed the acts of violence. In the first chapter, Juergensmeyer states, This book is about religious terrorism I have tried to get inside the mindset of those who perpetrated and supported such acts. (pg.7). By doing this type of analysis he is able to figure out whether religious terrorism distinguishes itself out from other forms of terrorism. This is what I have interpreted as his thesis statement, because this is essentially what is being portrayed throughout the book. Since this book is filled with tons of information, I have chosen to focus on a couple of case studies he presents to analyze instead of briefly covering all six cases he has presented. The cases I have chosen are named the Soldiers of Christ and Islams Neglected Duty. Before we get to the cases, I want to provide some background on our author, Mark Juergensmeyer. He currently is a professor of sociology and the Director of Global and International Studies at the University of California. He is also accountable for writing several other books such as The New Cold War? Religious Nationalism Confronts the Secular State, and Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith. Juergensmeyer has earned a Ph.D. in the field of political science from U.C. Berkeley with an emphasis on South Asia and comparative politics. He has also taken the liberty to study the following language...
