TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2005//
TI  - Religious Extremism: The Good, The Bad, and The Deadly
JO  - NBER working papers series
A1  - Berman, Eli
A1  - Iannaccone, Laurence R.
SP  - w11663
EP  - w11663
VL  - 2005
IS  - online
N2  - This paper challenges conventional views of violent religious extremism, particularly those that emphasize militant theology. We offer an alternative analysis that helps explain the persistent demand for religion, the different types of religious that naturally arise, and the special attributes of the %u201Csectarian%u201D type. Sects are adept at producing club goods both spiritual and material. Where governments and economies function poorly, sects often become major suppliers of social services, political action, and coercive force. Their success as providers is much more due to the advantages of their organizational structure than it is to their theology. Religious militancy is most effectively controlled through a combination of policies that raise the direct costs of violence, foster religious competition, improve social services, and encourage private enterprise.<p /> 
LA  - 
SN  - 0898-2937
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -