The Jihadist Preachers of the End Times - (Edinburgh Studies in Islamic Apocalypticism and Eschatology) by Bronislav Ostř & anský (Hardcover)

About the Book

Focusing on apocalyptic manifestations found in ISIS propaganda, this book situates the group's agenda in the broader framework of contemporary Muslim thought and explains key topics in millennial thinking within the spiritual context of modern Islamic apocalypticism.

Book Synopsis

Focusing on apocalyptic manifestations found in ISIS propaganda, this book situates the group's agenda in the broader framework of contemporary Muslim thought and explains key topics in millennial thinking within the spiritual context of modern Islamic apocalypticism.
Based on the group's primary sources as well as medieval Muslim apocalyptic literature and its modern interpretations, the book analyses the ways ISIS presents its message concerning the Last Days as a meaningful, inventive and frightening expression of collectively shared expectations relating to the supposedly approaching the End Times.

From the Back Cover

Looks at how ISIS employs a millennial agenda within the presentation of its ideas Focusing on apocalyptic manifestations found in ISIS propaganda, this book situates the group's agenda in the broader framework of contemporary Muslim thought and explains key topics in millennial thinking within the spiritual context of modern Islamic apocalypticism. Based on the group's primary sources as well as medieval Muslim apocalyptic literature and its modern interpretations, the book analyses the ways ISIS presents its message concerning the Last Days as a meaningful, inventive and frightening expression of collectively shared expectations relating to the supposedly approaching the End Times. Key features The first comprehensive study of ISIS primary sources, previously only discussed as part of the background to broader interpretations of the ISIS campaign Introduces and analyses the key topics of ISIS propaganda Places particular manifestations of ISIS apocalypticism in a consistent and meaningful framework Based on a coherent critical approach to the primary sources, both in Arabic and Western languages, including new media and social network sources Interpretations are interspersed with extensive quotations from ISIS sources, providing the reader with the specifics of the Jihadist approach to apocalyptic rhetoric Includes an appendix containing an ISIS 'apocalyptic reader' of primary source material Bronislav Ostřanský is a research fellow at the Oriental Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague.

Review Quotes

It is an unnecessary tragedy that Westerners had to wait almost twenty years to find out what's going on in the minds of the people who have targeted them and their infidel societies for destruction. After almost two decades since 9-11 of westsplaining about global Jihadis and their uses of terror (dying to win, desperation), we begin to see studies that listen to what the Jihadis say and treat them as serious agents in their own right. Such studies inevitably report the prominence of their millennial dreams (global Caliphate) in apocalyptic action (now, this generation). Indeed, were one so inclined, one might suggest that the remarkable strengthening of global Jihad in the 21st century, has been in no small part due to Western researchers inability to conceive of Muslim apocalyptic passions and their capacity for ferocious violence, their enduring ability to recruit.Among the recent crop of books on this topic, none compares with Bronislav Ostřanský'sThe Jihadist Preachers of the End Times for its scope, conceptual sophistication, thorough empirical research, and penetrating analysis. If you are in religious studies, history, political analysis, security... or if you just want to expand your understanding of human belief and action beyond the straight-jackets of post-colonial political correctness, read this book.-- "Richard Landes, Historian, Jerusalem"

About the Author

Bronislav Ostřanský is a research fellow at the Oriental Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague. He graduated from Charles University, Prague, specialising in the Arabic language and the history and culture of Islamic countries (Ph.D. in 2005). His research focuses mainly on medieval Islamic thought, especially mysticism (Sufism).