Dying for Heaven: Holy Pleasure and Suicide Bombers—Why the Best Qualities of Religion Are Also Its Most Dangerous

In Dying for Heaven, Georgetown scholar and advisor to the defense community Ariel Glucklich explains the religious motivation of terrorism. This provocative work of political science argues that the very best qualities of religion—its ability to make people feel good and bring them together—are in fact its most dangerous. Glucklich, author of Sacred Pain and Climbing Chamundi Hill, offers a new understanding of religion and provides a vision for preventing further religiously-inspired violence.

Why do the best qualities of religion—spiritual love, communal joy, and the promise of heaven—so often lead to the worst outcomes?

• The Psychology of Pleasure: Explore the science of hedonics and discover how religion evolved to control natural pleasures—from sex and food to money—and transform them into powerful social tools.
• The Martyr’s Theater: An unflinching analysis of what motivates self-sacrifice, from the historic roots of martyrdom to the surprising joy that can be found in self-annihilation.
• The Paradise Paradox: Uncover why the promise of a blissful afterlife can make believers less happy in the present and more willing to embrace violence for a future reward.
• Geopolitical Stakes: Apply these insights to the world's most dangerous flashpoints, analyzing whether nuclear deterrence can work in a high-stakes 'game of chicken' with religiously-motivated states.