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Theocratic Democracy : The Social Construction of Religious and Secular Extremism by Nachman Ben-Yehuda (2010, Hardcover)

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He finds that not only have they increased over the years, but their most salient feature is violence. Most of the struggle is focused on feuds around the state-religion status quo and the public arena.

About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherOxford University Press, Incorporated

ISBN-100199734860

ISBN-139780199734863

eBay Product ID (ePID)92500434

Product Key Features

Number of Pages312 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication NameTheocratic Democracy : the Social Construction of Religious and Secular Extremism

Publication Year2010

SubjectPolitical Ideologies / Radicalism, World / Middle Eastern, Political Ideologies / Democracy, Sociology of Religion, Jewish

TypeTextbook

AuthorNachman Ben-Yehuda

Subject AreaPolitical Science, Social Science, History

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height1.2 in

Item Weight20.8 Oz

Item Length6.5 in

Item Width9.4 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceScholarly & Professional

LCCN2009-052988

Reviews"Theocratic Democracy is an excellent and deeply researched study of dissident religious subcultures, focusing on Israel's growing communities of ultra-Orthodox Jews. The book is hugely significant for understanding the future of the state of Israel, and of Judaism more generally. It also tells us much about the politics of religion and the nature of religious violence. This is a really impressive achievement."--Philip Jenkins, Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Humanities, Pennsylvania State University "No one who reads this book will come away with an unchanged impression of Israel and its future. Theocratic Democracy provokes as it dissects Israel's ultraorthodox communities--their authoritarianism, deviant lifestyles, riotous violence, and, above all, political influence. The tension of religious-secular coexistence is now managed by a combination of police control and negotiation, but the orthodox population and its sway grow rapidly. Ben-Yehuda's analysis confronts the reader with a momentous question: will Israel's religious zealots dominate, fall, accommodate, or settle into perpetual conflict with secular society? For anyone concerned with the clash of tradition and modernity, whether inside or outside Israel, this brilliant book is a must-read."--Barry Schwartz, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Georgia "With consummate skill, Ben-Yehuda excavates the secular and Haredi press to expose what the self-righteous do in the name of the Almighty. Contemptuous of Israel's laws, the ultra-orthodox follow their own code; secretive, they cover up their crimes and protect their own. Ben-Yehuda offers a fascinating, wide-ranging tour through a bewildering array of Haredi wrongdoing. I recommend this book to anyone intrigued by how a tiny democracy in the Middle East juggles the demands of its many factions, cults, sects, and interest groups. The answer is, not well--but effectively enough. Reading Theocratic Democracy is an eye-opening experience."--Erich Goode, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Stony Brook University, SUNY, "Theocratic Democracy is an excellent and deeply researched study of dissident religious subcultures, focusing on Israel's growing communities of ultra-Orthodox Jews. The book is hugely significant for understanding the future of the state of Israel, and of Judaism more generally. It also tells us much about the politics of religion and the nature of religious violence. This is a really impressive achievement."--Philip Jenkins, Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Humanities, Pennsylvania State University "No one who reads this book will come away with an unchanged impression of Israel and its future. Theocratic Democracy provokes as it dissects Israel's ultraorthodox communities--their authoritarianism, deviant lifestyles, riotous violence, and, above all, political influence. The tension of religious-secular coexistence is now managed by a combination of police control and negotiation, but the orthodox population and its sway grow rapidly. Ben-Yehuda's analysis confronts the reader with a momentous question: will Israel's religious zealots dominate, fall, accommodate, or settle into perpetual conflict with secular society? For anyone concerned with the clash of tradition and modernity, whether inside or outside Israel, this brilliant book is a must-read."--Barry Schwartz, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Georgia "With consummate skill, Ben-Yehuda excavates the secular and Haredi press to expose what the self-righteous do in the name of the Almighty. Contemptuous of Israel's laws, the ultra-orthodox follow their own code; secretive, they cover up their crimes and protect their own. Ben-Yehuda offers a fascinating, wide-ranging tour through a bewildering array of Haredi wrongdoing. I recommend this book to anyone intrigued by how a tiny democracy in the Middle East juggles the demands of its many factions, cults, sects, and interest groups. The answer is, not well--but effectively enough. Reading Theocratic Democracy is an eye-opening experience."--Erich Goode, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Stony Brook University, SUNY "Theocratic Democracy charts significant and enduring patterns of ultra-orthodox religious violence in Israel. Ben-Yehuda thereby opens the door to a broad cultural and organizational analysis of religious in supposedly secular societies, even as he shows that the mainstream press constructs a religious minority as the "Other" that secular society must control and suppress." --John R. Hall, Professor of Sociology, University of California, Davis "Ben-Yehuda examines 50 years of verbal and nonverbal violence, from intimidation to arson, as the Haredi push for a more theocratic state." --University of Chicago Magazine, "Theocratic Democracy is an excellent and deeply researched study of dissident religious subcultures, focusing on Israel's growing communities of ultra-Orthodox Jews. The book is hugely significant for understanding the future of the state of Israel, and of Judaism more generally. It also tells us much about the politics of religion and the nature of religious violence. This is a really impressive achievement."--Philip Jenkins, Edwin Erle SparksProfessor of Humanities, Pennsylvania State University"No one who reads this book will come away with an unchanged impression of Israel and its future. Theocratic Democracy provokes as it dissects Israel's ultraorthodox communities--their authoritarianism, deviant lifestyles, riotous violence, and, above all, political influence. The tension of religious-secular coexistence is now managed by a combination of police control and negotiation, but the orthodox population and its sway grow rapidly.Ben-Yehuda's analysis confronts the reader with a momentous question: will Israel's religious zealots dominate, fall, accommodate, or settle into perpetual conflict with secular society? For anyone concerned with theclash of tradition and modernity, whether inside or outside Israel, this brilliant book is a must-read."--Barry Schwartz, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Georgia"With consummate skill, Ben-Yehuda excavates the secular and Haredi press to expose what the self-righteous do in the name of the Almighty. Contemptuous of Israel's laws, the ultra-orthodox follow their own code; secretive, they cover up their crimes and protect their own. Ben-Yehuda offers a fascinating, wide-ranging tour through a bewildering array of Haredi wrongdoing. I recommend this book to anyone intrigued by how a tiny democracy in the Middle Eastjuggles the demands of its many factions, cults, sects, and interest groups. The answer is, not well--but effectively enough. Reading Theocratic Democracy is an eye-opening experience."--Erich Goode,Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Stony Brook University, SUNY"Theocratic Democracy charts significant and enduring patterns of ultra-orthodox religious violence in Israel. Ben-Yehuda thereby opens the door to a broad cultural and organizational analysis of religious in supposedly secular societies, even as he shows that the mainstream press constructs a religious minority as the "Other" that secular society must control and suppress." --John R. Hall, Professor of Sociology, University of California, Davis"Ben-Yehuda examines 50 years of verbal and nonverbal violence, from intimidation to arson, as the Haredi push for a more theocratic state." --University of Chicago Magazine, " Theocratic Democracy is an excellent and deeply researched study of dissident religious subcultures, focusing on Israel's growing communities of ultra-Orthodox Jews. The book is hugely significant for understanding the future of the state of Israel, and of Judaism more generally. It also tells us much about the politics of religion and the nature of religious violence. This is a really impressive achievement."--Philip Jenkins, Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Humanities, Pennsylvania State University "No one who reads this book will come away with an unchanged impression of Israel and its future. Theocratic Democracy provokes as it dissects Israel's ultraorthodox communities--their authoritarianism, deviant lifestyles, riotous violence, and, above all, political influence. The tension of religious-secular coexistence is now managed by a combination of police control and negotiation, but the orthodox population and its sway grow rapidly. Ben-Yehuda's analysis confronts the reader with a momentous question: will Israel's religious zealots dominate, fall, accommodate, or settle into perpetual conflict with secular society? For anyone concerned with the clash of tradition and modernity, whether inside or outside Israel, this brilliant book is a must-read."--Barry Schwartz, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Georgia "With consummate skill, Ben-Yehuda excavates the secular and Haredi press to expose what the self-righteous do in the name of the Almighty. Contemptuous of Israel's laws, the ultra-orthodox follow their own code; secretive, they cover up their crimes and protect their own. Ben-Yehuda offers a fascinating, wide-ranging tour through a bewildering array of Haredi wrongdoing. I recommend this book to anyone intrigued by how a tiny democracy in the Middle East juggles the demands of its many factions, cults, sects, and interest groups. The answer is, not well--but effectively enough. Reading Theocratic Democracy is an eye-opening experience."--Erich Goode, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Stony Brook University, SUNY, "Theocratic Democracy is an excellent and deeply researched study of dissident religious subcultures, focusing on Israel's growing communities of ultra-Orthodox Jews. The book is hugely significant for understanding the future of the state of Israel, and of Judaism more generally. It also tells us much about the politics of religion and the nature of religious violence. This is a really impressive achievement."--Philip Jenkins, Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Humanities, Pennsylvania State University"No one who reads this book will come away with an unchanged impression of Israel and its future. Theocratic Democracy provokes as it dissects Israel's ultraorthodox communities--their authoritarianism, deviant lifestyles, riotous violence, and, above all, political influence. The tension of religious-secular coexistence is now managed by a combination of police control and negotiation, but the orthodox population and its sway grow rapidly. Ben-Yehuda's analysis confronts the reader with a momentous question: will Israel's religious zealots dominate, fall, accommodate, or settle into perpetual conflict with secular society? For anyone concerned with the clash of tradition and modernity, whether inside or outside Israel, this brilliant book is a must-read."--Barry Schwartz, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Georgia"With consummate skill, Ben-Yehuda excavates the secular and Haredi press to expose what the self-righteous do in the name of the Almighty. Contemptuous of Israel's laws, the ultra-orthodox follow their own code; secretive, they cover up their crimes and protect their own. Ben-Yehuda offers a fascinating, wide-ranging tour through a bewildering array of Haredi wrongdoing. I recommend this book to anyone intrigued by how a tiny democracy in the Middle East juggles the demands of its many factions, cults, sects, and interest groups. The answer is, not well--but effectively enough. Reading Theocratic Democracy is an eye-opening experience."--Erich Goode, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Stony Brook University, SUNY"Theocratic Democracy charts significant and enduring patterns of ultra-orthodox religious violence in Israel. Ben-Yehuda thereby opens the door to a broad cultural and organizational analysis of religious in supposedly secular societies, even as he shows that the mainstream press constructs a religious minority as the "Other" that secular society must control and suppress." --John R. Hall, Professor of Sociology, University of California, Davis"Ben-Yehuda examines 50 years of verbal and nonverbal violence, from intimidation to arson, as the Haredi push for a more theocratic state." --University of Chicago Magazine, "Theocratic Democracyis an excellent and deeply researched study of dissident religious subcultures, focusing on Israel's growing communities of ultra-Orthodox Jews. The book is hugely significant for understanding the future of the state of Israel, and of Judaism more generally. It also tells us much about the politics of religion and the nature of religious violence. This is a really impressive achievement."--Philip Jenkins, Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Humanities, Pennsylvania State University "No one who reads this book will come away with an unchanged impression of Israel and its future.Theocratic Democracyprovokes as it dissects Israel's ultraorthodox communities--their authoritarianism, deviant lifestyles, riotous violence, and, above all, political influence. The tension of religious-secular coexistence is now managed by a combination of police control and negotiation, but the orthodox population and its sway grow rapidly. Ben-Yehuda's analysis confronts the reader with a momentous question: will Israel's religious zealots dominate, fall, accommodate, or settle into perpetual conflict with secular society? For anyone concerned with the clash of tradition and modernity, whether inside or outside Israel, this brilliant book is a must-read."--Barry Schwartz, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Georgia "With consummate skill, Ben-Yehuda excavates the secular and Haredi press to expose what the self-righteous do in the name of the Almighty. Contemptuous of Israel's laws, the ultra-orthodox follow their own code; secretive, they cover up their crimes and protect their own. Ben-Yehuda offers a fascinating, wide-ranging tour through a bewildering array of Haredi wrongdoing. I recommend this book to anyone intrigued by how a tiny democracy in the Middle East juggles the demands of its many factions, cults, sects, and interest groups. The answer is, not well--but effectively enough. ReadingTheocratic Democracyis an eye-opening experience."--Erich Goode, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Stony Brook University, SUNY

Dewey Edition22

Number of Volumes1 vol.

IllustratedYes

Dewey Decimal320.95694

Table Of ContentPart One: Outlining the Study1. Theocratic Democracy and Cultural Conflicts2. Religion, Politics and Haredim in Israel3. Methodology: How Information Was Collected4. The Printed Media: Making News - Constructing RealitiesPart Two: Haredi Non-Conformity and Deviance5. Illustrative Events and Affairs6. Theocratic Underground Groups7. Themes of Deviance and UnconventionalityPart Three: Culture Conflict in the Media8. Life as It Should Be, The Right of the People Not to Know and Conspiracies of Silence9. Examining 50 Years of Haredi DeviancePart Four: Discussion and Conclusions10. Discussion: The Doctrine of Mutual Responsibility, Nonconformity and Deviance vs. Cultural Change and Stability11. Concluding Summary and some Global ObservationsBibliography

SynopsisIn Theocratic Democracy, Nachman Ben-Yehuda examines more than fifty years of media-reported unconventional and deviant behavior by members of the Haredi community. Ben-Yehuda finds not only that this behavior has happened increasingly often over the years, but also that its most salient feature is violence--a violence not random or precipitated by situational emotional rage, but planned and aimed to achieve a theocratic society in Israel. He shows how thepolitical structure that accommodates the strong theocratic and secular pressures Israel faces is effectively a theocratic democracy, allowing citizens with different worldviews to live under one umbrella of anation-state without tearing the social fabric apart., The state of Israel was established in 1948 as a Jewish democracy, without a legal separation between religion and the state. Ever since, the tension between the two has been a central political, social, and moral issue in Israel, resulting in a cultural conflict between secular Jews and the fundamentalist, ultra-orthodox Haredi community. What is the nature of this cultural conflict and how is it managed? In Theocratic Democracy , Nachman Ben-Yehuda examines more than fifty years of media-reported unconventional and deviant behavior by members of the Haredi community. Ben-Yehuda finds not only that this behavior has happened increasingly often over the years, but also that its most salient feature is violence--a violence not random or precipitated by situational emotional rage, but planned and aimed to achieve political goals. Using verbal and non-verbal violence in the forms of curses, intimidation, threats, arson, stone-throwing, beatings, mass violations, and more, Haredi activists try to push Israel toward a more theocratic society. Driven by a theological notion that all Jews are mutually responsible and accountable to the Almighty, these activists believe that the sins of the few are paid for by the many. Making Israel a theocracy will, they believe, reduce the risk of transcendental penalties. Ben-Yehuda shows how the political structure that accommodates the strong theocratic and secular pressures Israel faces is effectively a theocratic democracy. Characterized by chronic negotiations, tensions, and accommodations, it is by nature an unstable structure. However, in his fascinating and lively account, Nachman Ben-Yehuda demonstrates how it allows citizens with different worldviews to live under one umbrella of a nation-state without tearing the social fabric apart., The state of Israel was established in 1948 as a Jewish democracy, without a legal separation between religion and the state. Ever since, the tension between the two has been a central political, social, and moral issue in Israel, resulting in a cultural conflict between secular Jews and the fundamentalist, ultra-orthodox Haredi community. What is the nature of this cultural conflict and how is it managed? In Theocratic Democracy, Nachman Ben-Yehuda examines more than fifty years of media-reported unconventional and deviant behavior by members of the Haredi community. Ben-Yehuda finds not only that this behavior has happened increasingly often over the years, but also that its most salient feature is violence - a violence not random or precipitated by situational emotional rage, but planned and aimed to achieve political goals. Using verbal and non-verbal violence in the forms of curses, intimidation, threats, arson, stone-throwing, beatings, mass violations, and more, Haredi activists try to push Israel toward a more theocratic society. Driven by a theological notion that all Jews are mutually responsible and accountable to the Almighty, these activists believe that the sins of the few are paid for by the many. Making Israel a theocracy will, they believe, reduce the risk of transcendental penalties. Ben-Yehuda shows how the political structure that accommodates the strong theocratic and secular pressures Israel faces is effectively a theocratic democracy. Characterized by chronic negotiations, tensions, and accommodations, it is by nature an unstable structure. However, in his fascinating and lively account, Nachman Ben-Yehuda demonstrates how it allows citizens with different worldviews to live under one umbrella of a nation-state without tearing the social fabric apart., The state of Israel was established in 1948 as a Jewish democracy without a legal separation between religion and the state. This state-religion tension has been a central political, social, and moral issue in Israel, resulting in a theocracy-democracy cultural conflict between secular Jews and the fundamentalist ultra-orthodox-Haredi-counter-cultural community in Israel. And one of the major arenas where such conflicts are played out is the media.An expert on the construction of social and moral problems, Nachman Ben-Yehuda examines more than 50 years of media-reported unconventional and deviant behavior by the Haredi community. He finds that not only have they increased over the years, but their most salient feature is violence. This violence is not random or precipitated by some situational emotional rage-it is planned and aims to achieve political goals. Using verbal and non-verbal violence in the forms of curses, intimidations, threats, setting fires, throwing stones, beatings, staging mass violations and more, Haredi activists try to drive Israel towards a more theocratic society. Most of the struggle is focused on feuds around the state-religion status quo and the public arena. Driven by a theological notion that stipulates that all Jews are mutually responsible and accountable to the Almighty, these activists believe that the sins of the few are paid by the many. Making Israel a theocracy will, they believe, reduce the risk of transcendental penalties. Like other democracies, Israel has had to face significant theocratic and secular pressures. The political structure that accommodates these contradicting pressures is effectively a theocratic democracy. Characterized by chronic negotiations, tensions, and accommodations, it is by nature an unstable structure. However, it allows citizens with different worldviews to live under one umbrella of a nation state without tearing the social fabric apart.

LC Classification NumberJQ1830.A58B464 2010