Description
Book SynopsisA gripping study of how religiously motivated violence and militant movements end, from the perspectives of those most deeply involved. Mark Juergensmeyer is arguably the globe's leading expert on religious violence, and for decades his books have helped us understand the worlds and worldviews of those who take up arms in the name of their faith. But even the most violent of movements, characterized by grand religious visions of holy warfare, eventually come to an end. Juergensmeyer takes readers into the minds of religiously motivated militants associated with the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq, the Sikh Khalistan movement in India's Punjab, and the Moro movement for a Muslim Mindanao in the Philippines to understand what leads to drastic changes in the attitudes of those once devoted to all-out ideological war. When God Stops Fighting reveals how the transformation of religious violence manifests for those who once promoted it as the only answer.
Trade Review"
When God Stops Fighting is an excellent introductory work. . . .[its] brevity, its smooth readability and its lively descriptions make it both a thought-provoking and an enjoyable read." * Medicine, Conflict, and Survival *
"Anyone, be they theologians, religious studies majors, sociologists, psychologists, historians, politicians, lawyers, those entrusted with the arts of conflict resolution, or just a member of the public, should read this book. In doing so, they will come to understand more about the many subtle (and not so subtle) processes by which men (usually) can steer situations either towards tragic disasters or in the direction of those more promising situations
When God Stops Fighting." * Reading Religion *
"A valuable read for all those interested in militant violence." * Religion *
Table of ContentsPreface
1. The Trajectory of Imagined Wars
2. The Apocalyptic War of the Islamic State
3. The Militant Struggle of Mindanao Muslims
4. The Fight for Khalistan in India's Punjab
5. How Imagined Wars End
Notes
Interviews
Bibliography
Index
