Study of Religious Fanaticism and Responses to it as adversary identity
| Author: | French, Hal | |
| Year: | 1990 | |
| Pages: | 184 | |
| ISBN: | 0-88946-238-0 978-0-88946-238-0 | |
| Price: | $159.95 + shipping | |
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Explores the phenomenon of religious fanaticism as it arises from attitudes generated by "adversary identity," a term that describes the existence of religious groups which see themselves as possessors of dogmatic "truth packages," received through revelatory channels, which deny the validity of the channels and traditions of other religions.
Reviews
". . . filled with substance, psychological sophistication, and wisdom. The book educates and inspires. In addition to its main topic, it raises questions about personal identity and ideology rarely encountered. . . . A densely packed and colorful book. . . . an excellent guide to its subject. Unlike many books on complex religious subjects, one leaves less confounded after reading than when beginning." - Bulletin of Monastic Spirituality
"This is a serious, sensitive and candid inquiry into the role of religion in promoting an `adversary identity', in defining Self as antithesis of Other. The disturbing question which the author wishes to probe is: `Is the fanatic, logically, the best follower, given the character of the dogma?'" - Muslim World Book Review
"This is a serious, sensitive and candid inquiry into the role of religion in promoting an `adversary identity', in defining Self as antithesis of Other. The disturbing question which the author wishes to probe is: `Is the fanatic, logically, the best follower, given the character of the dogma?'" - Muslim World Book Review