Ariel Glucklich

Ariel Glucklich is an associate professor of Hinduism at Georgetown University, as well as an expert in Sanskrit literature. A former Senior Fulbright Fellow in India, Glucklich is trained in Indian philosophy and theology. The most recent of Glucklich’s five books is Sacred Pain, which won an award for excellence from the American Academy of Religion.

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Politics and Religion

Dying For Heaven

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

Talking Points

Glucklich, a professor of religion at Georgetown, was chosen to sit on the steering committee of the Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs which advises the defense community in Washington on the intersection of religion with contemporary global challenges. Glucklich also offers the personal perspective of someone born and raised in Israel with first-hand knowledge of current religious/political tensions.

Description

Most Americans think of Islam as a radical force, a jihadist religion. But employing religion for political means—especially through the use of religiously inspired violence—is not new, nor limited to Islam. Dying for Heaven argues the provocative thesis that the very best qualities of religion—its ability to make people feel good and bring them together—are in fact its most dangerous.

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