Political Violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: From Holy War to Modern Terror

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Religious political violence is by no means a new phenomenon, yet there are critical differences between the various historical instances of such violence and its more current permutations. Since the mid-1970s, religious fundamentalist movements have been seeking to influence world order by participating in local political systems. For example, Islamic fundamentalism is at the heart of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the Christian fundamental right wing has seen a resurgence in Europe, and Jewish fundamentalism is behind the actions of Meir Kahanes Kach movement and the settler movement. The shift in recent years from secular to religious political violence necessitates a reevaluation of contemporary political violence and of the concept of religious violence. This text analyzes the evolution of religious political violence, in both historical and contemporary perspectives. Since religious political violence events are usually associated with the term terrorism, the book first analyzes the origins of this controversial term and its religious manifestations. It then outlines and highlights the differences between secular and religious political violence, on ideological, strategic, and tactical levels, before comparing the concept of Holy War in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Lastly, it shows how modern radical monotheistic religious groups interpret and manipulate their religious sources and ideas to advocate their political agendas, including the practice of violence. A unique comparative study of religious political violence across Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, this text features many international case studies from the Crusades to the Arab Spring.

Reviews

Jonathan Fine's timely study is the first comparison of holy wars in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. His work is essential to understand and counters the misinterpretation of religious sources and ideas to serve political agendas. -- Rohan Gunaratna, author of "Inside al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror"
Dr. Jonathan Fine provides a crucial overview of political violence in a comparative way. Using the tools of a historian and a political scientist, Dr. Fine analyzes the phenomenon of terrorism in various context and the origins of holy violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. A very timely and important book. -- Boaz Ganor, co-founder and executive director, The International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), Herzliyya, Israel
A brilliant analysis with original ideas that will be of great interest. A work that challenges conventions and commonplaces. A masterpiece. -- Jos J. Sanmartn, University of Alicante, Spain
Political Violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is a major contribution to our understanding of the relationship between the three major monotheistic religions and violent conflict. Exhibiting a deep knowledge of the subject matter as evidenced in extensive use of primary sources, and combining historical analysis with an interdisciplinary perspective, Jonathan Fines comprehensive, informative, and balanced study will appeal to casual readers and specialists alike. -- Assaf Moghadam, author of The Globalization of Martyrdom: Al Qaeda, Salafi Jihad, and the Diffusion of Suicide Attacks
The strengths of Fines monumental and ambitious study are its innovative methodological approaches and its impressive first-hand and secondary sources. It deals symmetrically and fairly with the three religions; and its comparative inter-disciplinary nature adds to its analytical value. It is therefore a welcome addition to the existing literature. -- Rami Ginat, Department of Political Studies, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
Jonathan Fine has composed a comprehensive effort, in both breadth and depth, to bridge the textual and ideological foundations of Western religions with the modern religiously-motivated terrorism that emerged from those traditions. His erudite analysis crosses academic fields and draws together disparate theoretical lenses to form an ambitious survey of one of the most pressing challenges of our time. -- Ron E. Hassner, author of Religion on the Battlefield

Author Bio

Jonathan Fine is a senior researcher at the International Institute for Counter Terrorism and an assistant professor at the Lauder School of Government at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya.