It is tempting to regard the perpetrators of the September 11th terrorist attacks as evil incarnate. But their motives; as Bruce Lincoln’s acclaimed Holy Terrors makes clear; were profoundly and intensely religious. Thus what we need after the events of 9/11; Lincoln argues; is greater clarity about what we take religion to be. Holy Terrors begins with a gripping dissection of the instruction manual given to each of the 9/11 hijackers. In their evocation of passages from the Quran; we learn how the terrorists justified acts of destruction and mass murder “in the name of God; the most merciful; the most compassionate.†Lincoln then offers a provocative comparison of President Bush’s October 7; 2001 speech announcing U.S. military action in Afghanistan alongside the videotaped speech released by Osama bin Laden just a few hours later. As Lincoln authoritatively demonstrates; a close analysis of the rhetoric used by leaders as different as George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden—as well as Mohamed Atta and even Jerry Falwell—betrays startling similarities. These commonalities have considerable implications for our understanding of religion and its interrelationships with politics and culture in a postcolonial world; implications that Lincoln draws out with skill and sensitivity. With a chapter new to this edition; “Theses on Religion and Violence;†Holy Terrors remains one of the essential books on September 11 and a classic study on the character of religion.“Modernity has ended twice: in its Marxist form in 1989 Berlin; and in its liberal form on September 11; 2001. In order to understand such major historical changes we need both large-scale and focused analyses—a combination seldom to be found in one volume. But here Bruce Lincoln . . . has given us just such a mix of discrete and large-picture analysis.â€â€”Stephen Healey; Christian Century“From time to time there appears a work . . . that serves to focus the wide-ranging; often contentious discussion of religion’s significance within broader cultural dynamics. Bruce Lincoln’s Holy Terrors is one such text. . . . Anyone still struggling toward a more nuanced comprehension of 9/11 would do well to spend time with this book.â€â€”Theodore Pulcini; Middle East Journal
#1124615 in Books L P Harvey 1992-11-01 1992-11-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .90 x 6.00l; 1.15 #File Name: 0226319628386 pagesIslamic Spain 1250 to 1500
Review
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful. He saves the best for last ...By James V. SylvesterFirst; the review from Dulles; VA is spot-on correct.Second; note that this book does not present a complete history of "Islamic Spain" from 711 to 1492 but rather just the last 250 years from 1250 to 1500. If you're looking for material on Cordoba and the zenith of Al-Andalus in the 10th Century; this is not the right volume.With the exception of the intriguing situation in Navarre; the initial chapters that survey the role of Muslims who continued to live within Christian kingdoms during the period covered by the book can be a bit trying. However; I was intrigued by the discussions of the efforts that were made to acommodate Islamic law within Christian kingdoms.Once Harvey gets all that out of the way and gets to the story of Granada; the book takes wing. The story of the shifting alliances between and among the various Iberian kingdoms; the influence of North Africa from across Gibraltar; court intrigues; the development of military technology (especially artillery); the Christians gradual destruction of Granadan agriculture; and other factors combine to provide ample material for a rich story covering the 250 years of Granada and its seemingly inevitable downfall. The account of the siege of Malaga alone makes the book worthwhile.Having recently travelled in modern Andalucia; I have a good sense of where the critical events transpired. I join in the criticism that the book's maps are disappointing. For example; several Nasrid rulers abdicated to "Guadix" but it wasn't until I pulled out my Michelin road map of Andalucia that I was able to locate it at all. Apart from that; I recommend the book.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Multiracial ArabesqueBy GioDespite Franco; despite television; Spain in 2009 is far from a homogenous nation state. The most irreducible difference is language; with Castilian; Galician; and Catalan speakers all conducting daily life and teaching public schools in their separate languages; not to mention the many nearly separate dialects throughout the southern provinces; and the unassimilated non-Indoeuropean Basque! Oddly; however; aside from the Basques; there are not the visible differences in 'racial' types between north and south that most tourists expect. The reason is simple; everyone is everything. Spanish identity is a conglomerate of pre-Roman Iberian; Carthagenian; Greek; Italic; Visigothic; Jew; and Berber; amounting to genes for every color of hair and eyes; every complexion; and every shape of nose in every cranny of the country. Spanish history is a similar mosaic; a twining and vining of elements over time and space that looks much like the filagree on the ceiling of a mosque... or of a monastic chapel in upper Castile; built by mudejar artisans with Gothic blue eyes."Mudejar" is a term used to identify Muslims living under Christian rule; but don't rush to suppose that it implies a Moorish ethnicity. You'll have to make subtler distinctions and adjust to the complexities of multi-cultural; religiously pluralistic societies - both Christian and Muslim in governance - if you want to follow L. P. Harvey's dense and detailed history of the Islamic communities in Spain from 1250 to 1500. Those communities were never restricted to Andalucia; there were Muslim populations throughout Christian Spain; and some; even as far north as Pyrenean Navarre; remained semi-autonomous and privileged by law until the final expulsion. Likewise; of course; Mozarabes (Christians under Muslim rule); both Catholic and Arian; lived fairly securely if not quite equally under 'morisco' governance. And of course; there were Jews in all regions and at all economic levels.I can't say this is an easy book to digest. The scholarship is immense; and much of it is painstakingly specific. For my taste; there's too much about dynastic rivalries and confrontations of leadership... military stuff that I find paradoxically bloodless. But the chapters that describe the legal constraints and protections surrounding the lives of religious minorities; Christian and Muslim; are both fascinating and pertinent to our modern dilemma of absolutist antagonism between the two religious camps. As much as European and American Christians have romanticized and/or forgotten the Islamic history of Spain; assuming that the Reconquest is a final episode; Muslim extremists remember it as an invasion and pillaging of their finest realm. Reading this book carefully; you'll chiefly find that nothing was ever so simple; that neither modern camp has more than a sketchy cartoon in mind.This is the best book I know on the subject. I'd be delighted to get suggestions; via comments; about more recent studies; or about challenges to Harvey's interpretations.7 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Excellent. 1st class study of Islamic SpainBy GogolAn excellent book; Harvey uses prime sources such as wansharisi and ibn al-Khatib and goes into great detail of not only the battles and decline of Islamic Spain but also the daily lives of the people who must have been living in unbearable circumstances watching their kingdom slowly decline. What makes this book especially special is Harvey's study of what caused the decline of Islam in Spain (only Chejne has gone into such detail) I especially liked the translation of a speech made by a father to his children concerning the decline of Islam and Islamic culture in Spain. Yes there were expulsions; yes Muslims were driven from their home; yes day by day it was becoming more and more difficult for them to practice their religion but another important factor was their slow immersion into the Spanish Christian world.An excellent book; highly recommended I will be buying the second part of this study.
