Research Catalog

Title

Holy terrors : thinking about religion after September 11 / Bruce Lincoln.

Author

Lincoln, Bruce.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xi, 142 p. : ill.; 24 cm.

Summary

"Holy Terrors examines the implications of September 11 for our understanding of religion and how it interrelates with politics and culture." "Lincoln begins with a dissection of the instruction manual given to each of the hijackers. In the evocation of passages from the Quran, we learn how the terrorists justified acts of destruction and mass murder "in the name of God, the most merciful, the most compassionate." Lincoln then offers a comparison of President Bush's October 7 speech announcing U.S. military action in Afghanistan and Osama bin Laden's videotape released hours later. Each speech, he argues, betrays telling contradictions. Bin Laden, for instance, conceded implicity that Islam is not unitary, as his religious rhetoric would have it, but is torn by deep political divisions. And Bush, steering clear of religious rhetoric for the sake of political unity, still reassured his constituents through coded allusions that American policy is firmly rooted in faith." "Lincoln ultimately broadens his discussion further to consider the role of religion since September 11 and how it came to be involved with such fervent acts of political revolt. In the postcolonial world, he argues, religion is widely considered the most viable and effective instrument of rebellion against economic and social injustices. It is the institution through which unified communities ensure the integrity and continuity of their culture in the wake of globalization. Holy Terrors will become one of the essential books on September 11 and a classic study on the character of religion."--BOOK JACKET.

Subject

• Religion > Philosophy
• Religion and culture
• September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001
• Terrorism > Religious aspects

ISBN

0226481921 (cloth : alk. paper)

LCCN

2002007099

Owning Institutions

Columbia University Libraries