About Book

In Sacred Violence: Political Religion in a Secular Age, David Martin Jones and M. L. R. Smith explore the complex relationship between political violence and religious ideologies in the modern world. The book examines the resurgence of political religion, particularly Islamist radicalism, in a secular age. It seeks to understand how ideologies rooted in religious traditions, such as jihadism, have shaped contemporary political violence and terrorism. Key topics include: • Jihadist Terror and Liberal Democracy: Analyzing the rise of jihadist movements and their opposition to Western liberal democracies. • Cybercaliphate and Homeland Insecurity: Investigating the role of digital technology in modern terrorist threats and the vulnerabilities it exposes in democratic societies. • Discourse and Atrocity: The failure of mainstream discourse to adequately address the realities of contemporary terrorism. • Counterinsurgency and Post-9/11 Military Strategies: A critical assessment of the military response to jihadist threats and its long-term consequences. • Non-Western Terror: A study of Islamist movements, particularly Jemaah Islamiyah, and their impact on global security. • Islamist Strategic Thinking and IR Theory: Engaging with international relations theories through the lens of Islamist strategic goals. The book also reflects on how terrorism, particularly Islamist terrorism, is deeply connected to notions of political religion and explores the ideological and theological underpinnings of modern terrorism.