Martyrdom: The Psychology, Theology, and Politics of Self-Sacrifice

(Hardback)

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Experts in three disciplines - Psychology, Theology, and Politics - examine martyrdom in thoughtful and thought-provoking chapters. Martyrdom is a controversial and disputed concept; often just as religion is hijacked by politics, martyrdom is ascribed on a narrow, partisan, and parochial foundation. The authors of this volume offer unique perspective because theirs is the first book in this topic to bring together varied views, ending with a "conversation" between them that is designed to inspire further discourse and debate. This volume reaches beyond cliches and simplistic explanations to provoke deep consideration of the essential nature of human beings and society.

Reviews

"A very timely and authoritative work with content that ranges from memory and neuropsychology to the social psychology of violence. The contributors present comprehensive and readable syntheses of the subject from the perspectives of their respective disciplines. The final section, a Conversation, presents a stimulating cross-disciplinary analysis of the subject matter that helps to provide a meaningful integration of the theoretical and research finding."-Charles D. Spielberger Director, Center for Research in Behavioral Medicine and Health Psychology University of South Florida
"Very engaging, important and topical. Martyrdom is enlightened from many perspectives...."-Dr Karmela Belinki, Ph.D. Broadcasting Producer Finnish Broadcasting Company
[L]ocates motivating factors such as revenge and aggression in a primitive portion of the brain supporting a Darwinian basis for some acts of martyrdom in cultures motivated more by hate of others than love of higher values....Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.-Choice
[W]e should be grateful to Fields for pulling it together. In our contemporary world, the news is full of reports of religiously and politically motivated suicide bombings. Fields gets the analysis of the mysterious and powerful act of martydom off to a start.-Science & Theology News
"Locates motivating factors such as revenge and aggression in a primitive portion of the brain supporting a Darwinian basis for some acts of martyrdom in cultures motivated more by hate of others than love of higher values....Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty."-Choice
"We should be grateful to Fields for pulling it together. In our contemporary world, the news is full of reports of religiously and politically motivated suicide bombings. Fields gets the analysis of the mysterious and powerful act of martydom off to a start."-Science & Theology News
"[W]e should be grateful to Fields for pulling it together. In our contemporary world, the news is full of reports of religiously and politically motivated suicide bombings. Fields gets the analysis of the mysterious and powerful act of martydom off to a start."-Science & Theology News
"[L]ocates motivating factors such as revenge and aggression in a primitive portion of the brain supporting a Darwinian basis for some acts of martyrdom in cultures motivated more by hate of others than love of higher values....Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty."-Choice

Author Bio

Rona M. Fields is a senior associate in clinical practice in Washington, D.C., and has served as adjunct professor at the American School of Professional Psychology in Virginia and assistant professor of Sociology at Clark University. She was a contributor to The Psychology of Terrorism (Praeger, 2002).