Released on = February 26, 2007, 8:34 am

Press Release Author = Psychology Press

Industry = Media

Press Release Summary = The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon
brought the phenomenon of religious fundamentalism to the world\'s attention.

Six years of conflict and debate later, we still understand very little about how
and why people join fundamentalist movements and embrace a set of beliefs and
behaviour which are destructively counter-cultural.

Press Release Body = The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon
brought the phenomenon of religious fundamentalism to the world\'s attention.

Six years of conflict and debate later, we still understand very little about how
and why people join fundamentalist movements and embrace a set of beliefs and
behaviour which are destructively counter-cultural.

Peter Herriot\'s new book Religious Fundamentalism and Social Identity (published by
Psychology Press, 2007) uses current Social Identity Theory to address two key
questions:

1. What causes fundamentalists to identify themselves with persecuted \'in-groups\'
fighting what they take to be oppressive \'out-groups\'?
2. How do the psychological needs for self-esteem and meaning motivate them?

Case studies of Mohammed Atta, the leader of the 9/11 hijackers, and of the current
controversy in the Anglican Church about gay priests and bishops, demonstrate how
fruitfully Social Identity Theory can be applied to fundamentalist conflicts.

Significantly, it also offers psychologically sensible ways of managing such
conflicts, rather than treating fundamentalists as an enemy to be defeated.
Religious Fundamentalism and Social Identity can be ordered from Psychology Press at:
http://www.socialpsychologyarena.com/books/book.asp?isbn

Web Site = http://www.psypress.com/herriot/

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Psychology Press
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917 351 7160