Terror in the Name of God

Why Religious Militants Kill

By: Jessica Stern

Narrated by: Jessica Stern

For four years, Jessica Stern interviewed extremist members of three religions around the world: Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Traveling extensively—to refugee camps in Lebanon, to religious schools in Pakistan, to prisons in Amman, Asqelon, and Pensacola—she discovered that the Islamic jihadi in the mountains of Pakistan and the Christian fundamentalist bomber in Oklahoma have much in common.

Based on her vast research, Stern lucidly explains how terrorist organizations are formed by opportunistic leaders who—using religion as both motivation and justification—recruit the disenfranchised. She depicts how moral fervor is transformed into sophisticated organizations that strive for money, power, and attention.

Jessica Stern's extensive interaction with the faces behind the terror provide unprecedented insight into acts of inexplicable horror, and enable her to suggest how terrorism can most effectively be countered.

A crucial book on terrorism, Terror in the Name of God is a brilliant and thought-provoking work.

©2003 Jessica Stern; (P)2003 HarperCollinsPublishers, Inc.

Good Effort

Well written book with an excellent, first hand insight into the scary world of religious terrorism, i.e. terrorism in the name of God. Certainly, recommended.

Hit the nail on the head

Remarkable original research. I Salute Ms. Stern to have accomplished such a journey with courage and having dangers in pursuit of finding the truth like no one else has

Review

I generally have praise for this book. It is well written, rich in both academic and empirical research and obviously, relevant to current events. Yet I wish the author would have explored in greater depth both Christian (barely covered in the beginning of the book) and Jewish religious militants. Also, the author herself reads the work in a monotonous, robotic voice void of inflection of emotion. Overall though, a well formed work of religious militancy, especially a fine moral and pragmatic last chapter offering solutions to terrorism.

That this audiobook without disclosure leaves out many sections of the printed book

I felt like this audiobook was a fraud. I had begun reading the printed book, and as I often do, I decided to order and listen to the audiobook when I was in situations, such as in the car, when I could not read the printed book. As i did so, I noticed that there were sections I had read in the printed book that were not in the audiobook. There was no disclosure of this, so, after spending an inordinate amount of time, figuring out that important deletions had occurred, I abandoned the audiobook and I’ve returned to the printed book. I feel cheated and it’s wasted too much of my time having to painstakingly figure this out, It should not have been done at all, and it certainly should’ve been disclosed. If I am in error about the nondisclosure, someone should point it out to me and I will apologize and withdraw thereview, but I am right, there should be a disclosure and an apology. I also expect restoration of the credit i used to buy this thing.

disappointing treatment of a serious topic

Professor Stern's approach to the issue seemed very promising but both her reporting and conclusions turned out to be very disappointing. She had no balance between the types of "terror" she explored, giving little depth of treatment to Christian and Jewish examples. Her analysis was filled with lots of hand-ringing but little insight into solutions. One came away thinking her greastest suggestion was that the West walk away from globalization, at least to the extent it makes religious zealots uncomfortable. If the rise of religious terror is the by-product of McDonalds franchises, she ought to do better for all the work and risk she endured to gather her impressions.