Idolatrous faith as the accelerant of contemporary religious terrorism : a theologico-constructionist perspective

This study adopts a theologico-constructionist paradigm to underscore the root causes of religious terrorism and fundamentalism and the need for a demythologised and constructionist reading of certain "holy books". The argument is that it is only by such a reading that both the perpetrators of religious fundamentalism and the stakeholders involved in peacebuilding can make progress in addressing the problem of religious terrorism. The article argues that interpreting holy books in ways that respect different versions of understanding religion could breed ecumenical tolerance and, hopefully, reduce motivation for religious-sponsored terrorism and violence.