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9780195379662 English 0195379667 The lives of hundreds of millions of people have been saved and enriched by their strong religious commitments. And yet a global epidemic of fundamentalism draws many of the furiously religious to violence. In this penetrating book, a group of scholars illuminate the psychology of fundamentalism, focusing largely on this vitally significant intersection of religion and violence. What accounts for the violence that can be found among some fundamentalist groups? The contributors identify several factors: a radical dualism, where everything is divided sharply between good or evil; a pernicious literalism; group vulnerabilities; paranoid thinking; and an apocalyptic world view. After examining each of these characteristics in detail, and showing why they have the potential to lead to violence, the rich essays in this book explore such areas as Muslim Jihadi violence, as well as fundamentalism in the American experience. The book also highlights the psychology underlying fundamentalism that can be seen in such historical crises as the French Revolution, the Nazi movement, and post-Partition Hindu fundamentalism., This penetrating book sheds light on the psychology of fundamentalism, with a particular focus on those who become extremists and fanatics. What accounts for the violence that emerges among some fundamentalist groups? The contributors to this book identify several factors: a radical dualism, in which all aspects of life are bluntly categorized as either good or evil; a destructive inclination to interpret authoritative texts, laws, and teachings in the most literal of terms; an extreme and totalized conversion experience; paranoid thinking; and an apocalyptic world view. After examining each of these concepts in detail, and showing the ways in which they lead to violence among widely disparate groups, these engrossing essays explore such areas as fundamentalism in the American experience and among jihadists, and they illuminate aspects of the same psychology that contributed to such historical crises as the French Revolution, the Nazi movement, and post-Partition Hindu religiouspractice., This work sheds light on the psychology of fundamentalism, with a particular focus on those who become extremists and fanatics. The contributors identify several factors: a radical dualism, a destructive inclination to interpret authoritative texts, paranoid thinking, and an apocalyptic world view.
9780195379662 English 0195379667 The lives of hundreds of millions of people have been saved and enriched by their strong religious commitments. And yet a global epidemic of fundamentalism draws many of the furiously religious to violence. In this penetrating book, a group of scholars illuminate the psychology of fundamentalism, focusing largely on this vitally significant intersection of religion and violence. What accounts for the violence that can be found among some fundamentalist groups? The contributors identify several factors: a radical dualism, where everything is divided sharply between good or evil; a pernicious literalism; group vulnerabilities; paranoid thinking; and an apocalyptic world view. After examining each of these characteristics in detail, and showing why they have the potential to lead to violence, the rich essays in this book explore such areas as Muslim Jihadi violence, as well as fundamentalism in the American experience. The book also highlights the psychology underlying fundamentalism that can be seen in such historical crises as the French Revolution, the Nazi movement, and post-Partition Hindu fundamentalism., This penetrating book sheds light on the psychology of fundamentalism, with a particular focus on those who become extremists and fanatics. What accounts for the violence that emerges among some fundamentalist groups? The contributors to this book identify several factors: a radical dualism, in which all aspects of life are bluntly categorized as either good or evil; a destructive inclination to interpret authoritative texts, laws, and teachings in the most literal of terms; an extreme and totalized conversion experience; paranoid thinking; and an apocalyptic world view. After examining each of these concepts in detail, and showing the ways in which they lead to violence among widely disparate groups, these engrossing essays explore such areas as fundamentalism in the American experience and among jihadists, and they illuminate aspects of the same psychology that contributed to such historical crises as the French Revolution, the Nazi movement, and post-Partition Hindu religiouspractice., This work sheds light on the psychology of fundamentalism, with a particular focus on those who become extremists and fanatics. The contributors identify several factors: a radical dualism, a destructive inclination to interpret authoritative texts, paranoid thinking, and an apocalyptic world view.