Overview

This book traces the trajectory of militant jihadism to show how violence is more intentionally embraced as the centre of worship, social order and ideology. Undertaking an in-depth analysis of militant jihadist groups and utilising the work of René Girard, Joel Hodge argues that the extreme violence of militant jihadists is a response to modernity in two ways that have not been sufficiently explored by the existing literature. Firstly, it is a manifestation of the unrestrained and escalating state of desire and rivalry in modernity, which militant jihadists seek to counter with extreme violence. Secondly, it is a response to the unveiling and discrediting of sacred violence, which militant jihadists seek to reverse by more purposefully valorising sacred violence in what they believe to be jihad. Relevant to anyone interested in Islam, philosophy of religion, theology, and terrorism, Violence in the Name of God imagines new ways of thinking about militancy in the name of Islam in the twenty-first century.

Full Product Details

Author:   Dr. Joel Hodge (Australian Catholic University, AUS)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Bloomsbury Academic
Weight:   0.417kg
ISBN:  

9781350273115

ISBN 10:   1350273112
Pages:   296
Publication Date:   29 July 2021
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements Introduction: Why Another Book on Jihadism? Part I 1 Rene Girard's Mimetic Theory 2 Violence in Modernity Part II 3 The Islamic Modernity 4 The Militant Jihadist Response to Modernity 5 The Rise of Violent Jihad 6 Jihadism and Violence 7 Violence and Identity 8 Sacred Jihadist Totalitarianism Part III 9 Why Is God Part of Human Violence? The Idolatrous Nature of Militant Jihadism 10 The Sacred and the Holy: Alternatives to Escalating Violence Appendix: Rene Girard at a Glance, Scott Cowdell, Chris Fleming, and Joel Hodge Glossary of Key Girardian Terms, Scott Cowdell, Chris Fleming, and Joel Hodge Bibliography Index

Reviews

Hodge's book is to be commended and is well worth engaging. * Modern Theology * The book is a masterly dissection of this complex and disconcerting topic... Hodge provides a lucid analysis of the core drivers that lead to terror, and offers carefully thought-out pathways in response ... He exemplifies modern, informed Catholic scholarship at its best ... I think Joel Hodge's book will be one of the best theological texts of 2020. -- Ivan Head * Quadrant * In a lucid and comprehensive study of violent jihad, Joel Hodge advances Rene Girard's mimetic theory of religiously sanctioned violence. Girard himself was not in a position to develop his intuition, that extreme Islamism is an attempt to 're-sacralize' violence; but Hodge makes the necessary connections, time and again. This book will be a standard reference point on this urgent theme. * Michael Kirwan, Adjunct Associate Professor at the Loyola Institute, School of Religion, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland * A careful and systematic analysis of the contemporary discussions on the relationship between religion and violence in the context of modernity. Hodge raises many unspoken questions courageously and brings new insights to this old topic. An interesting book which I strongly recommend to those who take this issue seriously. * Ismail Albayrak, Research Fellow, Faculty of Theology and Philosophy, Australian Catholic University, Australia * Violence in the Name of God brilliantly brings a new dimension to the debates of jihadism by showing militant jihadists' sacralization of violence. It invites readers to understand the identity and motivations of contemporary militant jihadism and its trajectories in Islamic and Western modernities. Readers will benefit from Dr. Hodge's mastery of Girard's mimetic desire and its application in understanding rivalry, victimhood, and scapegoating in the contemporary contexts of violent jihadism and terrorism. * Etin Anwar, Associate Professor, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, USA * To understand Jihad-its origins, spread, dynamics, methods, aims, and prospects-from a position of powerful practical and theoretical insight, Hodge's bold yet measured study provides a reliable and accessible guide...Hodge ends his comprehensive, clear-eyed, unsentimental assessment with a summons to the better angels of our nature. -- Scott Cowdell * St Mark's Review *

Author Information

Joel Hodge is Senior Lecturer in Systematic Theology at Australian Catholic University, Australia. He is the author of Resisting Violence and Victimisation: Christian Faith and Solidarity in East Timor (2012) and co-editor of the series, Violence, Desire, and the Sacred.

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