Competing fundamentalisms : violent extremism in Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism

Why do certain groups and individuals seek to do harm in the name ofGod? While studies often claim to hold the key to this frightening phenomenon, theyseldom account for the crucial role that religious conviction plays, not just inradical Islam, but also in the fundamentalist branches of the world’s two otherlargest religions: Christianity and Hinduism. As the first book to examine violentextremism in all three religions together, CompetingFundamentalisms draws on studies in sociology, psychology, culture, andeconomicswhile focusing on the central role of religiousideasto paint a richer portrait of this potent force in modern life.Clarke argues that the forces of globalization fuel the aggression of thesemovements to produce the competing feature of religious fundamentalisms, which havemore in common with their counterparts across religious lines than they do with themembers of their own religions. He proposes ways to deescalate religious violence inthe service of peacemaking. Readers will gain important insights into how violentreligious fundamentalism works in the world’s three largest religions and learnnew strategies for promoting peace in the context of contemporary interreligiousconflict.