From Jeremiad to Jihad: Religion, Violence, and America (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780520271661)

Violence has been a central feature of America's history, culture, and place in the world. It has taken many forms: from state-sponsored uses of force such as war or law enforcement, to revolution, secession, terrorism and other actions with important political and cultural implications. Religion also holds a crucial place in the American experience of violence, particularly for those who have found order and meaning in their worlds through religious texts, symbols, rituals, and ideas. Yet too often the religious dimensions of violence, especially in the American context, are ignored or overstated--in either case, poorly understood. From Jeremiad to Jihad: Religion, Violence, and America corrects these misunderstandings. Charting and interpreting the tendrils of religion and violence, this book reveals how formative moments of their intersection in American history have influenced the ideas, institutions, and identities associated with the United States. Religion and violence provide crucial yet underutilized lenses for seeing America anew--including its outlook on, and relation to, the world.

Author: John D. Carlson
ISBN-10: 0520271661
ISBN-13: 9780520271661
Publisher: University of California Press
Language: English
Published: 06/06/2012
Pages: 250
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.90d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 12/01/2012