New Political Religions or an Analysis of Modern Terrorism 1st Edition by Barry Cooper ISBN 082626252X 9780826262523

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ISBN 10: 082626252X 
ISBN 13: 9780826262523
Author: Barry Cooper

In New Political Religions, or an Analysis of Modern Terrorism, Barry Cooper applies the insights of Eric Voegelin to the phenomenon of modern terrorism. Cooper points out that the chief omission from most contemporary studies of terrorism is an analysis of the “spiritual motivation” that is central to the actions of terrorists today. When spiritual elements are discussed in conventional literature, they are grouped under the opaque term religion. A more conceptually adequate approach is provided by Voegelin’s political science and, in particular, by his Schellingian term pneumopathology—a disease of the spirit.

While terrorism has been used throughout the ages as a weapon in political struggles, there is an essential difference between groups who use these tactics for more of less rational political goals and those seeking more apocalyptic ends. Cooper argues that today’s terrorists have a spiritual perversity that causes them to place greater significance on killing than on exploiting political grievances. He supports his assertion with an analysis of two groups that share the characteristics of a pneumopathological consciousness—Aum Shinrikyo, the terrorist organization that poisoned thousands of Tokyo subway riders in 1995, and Al-Qaeda, the group behind the infamous 9/11 killings.

Cooper applies the Voegelinian terms first reality (a commonsense goal regarding legitimate political grievances) and second reality (a fantastic objective sought by those whose rationality has been obscured) to show the major divide between political and apocalyptic terrorist groups. Osama Bin Laden’s “second reality” was the imaginary goal that the 9/11 attack was supposed to achieve, and the commonsense reality was what truly happened (the deaths of nearly 3,000 people and the United States’s subsequent military response). Cooper shows how such spiritual perversity enables a human being, imagining himself empowered by God, to go on a campaign of mass destruction.

Cooper concludes with a chapter on the uniqueness of terrorist networks, their limitations, and the means by which they can be dealt with. In the ongoing conversations among specialists in terrorist studies, as well as the ordinary discourse of citizens in western democracies wishing to understand the world around them, this book will add a distinctive voice.

New Political Religions or an Analysis of Modern Terrorism 1st Table of contents:

• The Roots of Modern Terrorism

  • The Evolution of Terrorism in the 20th Century
  • Terrorism as a Response to Political and Social Grievances
  • The Intersection of Religion and Ideology in Terrorist Movements

• Political Ideologies and Religious Elements

  • Ideological Movements as “Religious” Systems
  • The Appeal of Political Religions to the Masses
  • Cult-like Behavior in Political Movements

• Totalitarianism and the New Political Religions

  • Totalitarian Movements in the 20th Century
  • The Relationship Between Totalitarianism and Religious Ideologies
  • Case Studies: Fascism, Communism, and Other Totalitarian Regimes

• The Role of Charismatic Leaders

  • The Cult of Personality in Political Religions
  • Charismatic Leadership and Its Connection to Violence and Terror
  • Historical and Contemporary Examples

• Case Studies in Modern Terrorism

  • Religious Fundamentalism and Terrorism (e.g., Al-Qaeda, ISIS)
  • Ideological Terrorism (e.g., Left-Wing, Right-Wing Extremism)
  • Nationalist Movements and Terrorism

• The Psychology of Political Terrorism

  • Psychological Motivations Behind Terrorist Actions
  • The Appeal of Violence and Martyrdom
  • Radicalization and the Role of Social Networks

• The Global Impact of Political Religions

  • How New Political Religions Shape International Relations
  • Terrorism and the Global Response: The War on Terror
  • The Influence of Political Religions on Domestic Politics

• The Future of Political Religions and Terrorism

  • Emerging Trends in Political and Religious Movements
  • The Prospects for Global Security in an Age of Ideological Violence
  • The Role of Ideology and Religion in the Future of Terrorism

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Barry Cooper,Political Religions,Analysis,Terrorism