Entering Religious Minds

Led by Mona Kanwal Sheikh and Mark Juergensmeyer, nine authors journey into the worlds of unusual, sometimes violent religious groups. Together, these original first-person contributions provide an integrated, problem-solving approach to field research in religious extremism, illustrating ground-breaking methods in gaining access to their subjects’ worldviews. In a narrative style that is at once both conversational and rigorous, the book demonstrates for students, researchers, and journalists the relevance of religious studies to political science, sociology, and anthropology. It is particularly well suited to upper-level courses at the intersection of religion and the social sciences. <p><em>Acknowledgments </em></p><p><em>Contributors</em> </p><p>1. Introduction: The Challenge of Entering Religious Minds <em>Mark Juergensmeyer and Mona Kanwal Sheikh</em> </p><p><strong>Part I Bridging Disciplines: Theology, Religious Studies, and Social Science</strong> </p><p>2. From Methodists to Mormons: Reflections on Describing and Explaining Religious Worldviews <em>Ann Taves</em> </p><p>3. Finding a Vocation Between Religious Worlds <em>Richard Madsen</em> </p><p>4. Route 40: Encountering a Spiritual School in the Desert <em>Ariel Glucklich</em> </p><p>5. Translating Worldviews: Religious Studies as a Social Science <em>Julie Ingersoll</em> </p><p><strong>Part II Encountering Religious Violence: Fieldwork, Empathy, and Immersion</strong> </p><p>6. Talking with Terrorists, Entering Their Minds <em>Mark Juergensmeyer </em></p><p>7. Epistemic Worldviews: Buddhist Perspectives on Violence <em>Michael Jerryson</em> </p><p>8. Lessons from My Study of the Pakistani Taliban <em>Mona Kanwal Sheikh</em> </p><p>9. Interviewing White Ethno(-Religious) Nationalists: Reflections on Fieldwork <em>Sara Kamali</em> </p><p>10. Grasping Ritual Violence in Ancient Texts <em>Margo Kitts </em></p><p>11. Conclusion: The Significance of Worldview Analysis for Social Sciences <em>Mona Kanwal Sheikh</em> </p><p><em>Index</em></p>