Religious Radicalism places the religious motives and mechanisms behind radicalism under scrutiny. The contributors of this edited volume observe a growing lack of understanding of religion in secular policy-bodies, as well as in the academic world in Europe and beyond. They put forward an approach ‘from within’, in an attempt to provide policymakers with workable tools and a user-friendly method with which to constructively tackle religious radicalism. A major underlying issue is that of the role of rule of law in relation to religious minorities’ human rights. This book brings forward an interdisciplinary approach to religious radicalism, blending religious studies, theology and cultural criticism.
Above all Religious Radicalism is an invitation for dialogue and a plea for understanding. In the current polarized cultural climate, it is delicate to ask for prejudices to be avoided. We can tend to think that the ‘other’ must trust us, and that change should apply to those who think and feel differently than we do. Increasing illiteracy is both a cause and effect of religious radicalism. Those who do not feel understood or recognized, and whose identity is systematically discredited, turn against the institutional powers that leave the offence untouched. In short, radicalism is a threat. But for those who are completely alien to certain customs and backgrounds, symbols and behavior, the unprecedented and unfamiliar are equally interpreted as a threat. This form of radicalism, which is bred by ignorance, also calls for a certain degree of self-criticism.
