Terror and Violence

• Published in: The Wiley Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion pp. 440 - 450
• Main Author: Dawson, Lorne L
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 05.02.2021
• Subjects: jihad; radicalization; religion and violence; terrorism
• ISBN: 9780470656563; 0470656565
• DOI: 10.1002/9781119092797.ch31

In the twenty‐first century religion is in the news, more often than not, because of its association with terrorism. Yet the precise nature of the relationship between religion and terrorism is the subject of much controversy. This chapter surveys the varying approaches taken to that relationship in terms of a four‐fold typology based on responses to two questions that have dominated the discussion: is religion in general a primary motivator for religious terrorism, or is Islam specifically the primary motivator? The different types of responses reflect assumptions about the nature of religion, its legitimacy, and the relationship with politics and rationality – assumptions that are not always obvious or adequately addressed in the literature. Attempts to dissociate religion from terrorism turn out to be counterproductive. We must recognize that while religion in general may not be a prime motivator for terrorism, the religiosity of most religious terrorists is a highly significant contributing factor.