Sacred Causes

From the turmoil of post-World War I Europe to the plague of terrorism in our modern society, Sacred Causes is a penetrating critique of the politics of religion and the religion of politics. Michael Burleigh, author of The Third Reich, examines the way in which religion has been swayed by - and contributed to - conflicting secular currents. Totalitarian regimes like those of Hitler, Stalin and Franco mimicked the power structure and rituals of religion, while attempting to restore the days when god and ruler were one. At the same time, fear of socialism tempered the churches'' response to the threat of totalitarianism. Burleigh combines this authoritative survey of history with a timely reminder of the dangers of radical secularism. He also investigates the possibility of a civic religion, intended to counter the threat of terrorism. Michael Burleigh is the author of Earthly Powers: The Clash of Religion and Politics in Europe, from the French Revolution to the Great War; Sacred Causes: The Clash of Religion and Politics, from the Great War to the War on Terror; The Third Reich: A New History, which won the Samuel Johnson Prize for Nonfiction; and Blood and Rage: A Cultural History of Terrorism. He is married and lives in London. ''A fascinating chronicle ... Burleigh tracks the fate of religious and secular forces in the 20th century, registering their collisions and their effects on the culture we live in today.'' - The Wall Street Journal

Brilliant. . . . A powerful indictment of our uneasy times.

Auteur

Michael Burleigh is the author of Earthly Powers, Sacred Causes, and The Third Reich: A New History, which won the Samuel Johnson Prize for Nonfiction. He is married and lives in London.

Texte du rabat

Beginning with the chaotic post-World War I landscape, in which religious belief was one way of reordering a world knocked off its axis, Sacred Causes is a penetrating critique of how religion has often been camouflaged by politics. All the bloody regimes and movements of the twentieth century are masterfully captured here, from Stalin's Soviet Union, Hitler's Germany, Mussolini's Italy, and Franco's Spain through to the modern scourge of terrorism. Eloquently and persuasively combining an authoritative survey of history with a timely reminder of the dangers of radical secularism, Burleigh asks why no one foresaw the religious implications of massive Third World immigration, and he deftly investigates what are now driving calls for a civic religion to counter the terrorist threats that have so shocked the West.