Myth-Making and Religious Extremism and Their Roots in Crises

According to sociologist C. Wright Mills, we do not live in a world of solid fact but in a world permeated by culture, constructed by humans through communication with each other. Myth-making shapes our lives, beliefs and behavior. Collective myths become plausible explanations for events past and future as each new generation constructs reality anew to make sense of the human condition. Providing a sociological and multicultural analysis, this book examines myth-making in today’s world amid religious extremism and terrorism. The authors discuss the imperative of myth in comprehending illness, sexuality, death and human relationships to the environment and other animals.

Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

The late Arthur G. Neal was a Distinguished University Professor of sociology at Bowling Green State University.

Helen Youngelson-Neal, an emeritus professor of economics at Portland State University, also lives in Portland, Oregon.

Arthur G. Neal and Helen Youngelson-Neal

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 216
Bibliographic Info: bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2015
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9858-1
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2131-9
Imprint: McFarland

Preface 1
1. Why ­Myth-Making Is Necessary 7
2. The ­Myth-Making Process 20
3. Religious Extremism 34
4. The Problem of Evil 50
5. Terrorism 67
6. Born Again 84
7. Illness and Wellness 97
8. Death and Immortality 114
9. Humans and Other Animals 130
10. Human Sexuality 146
11. Alpha and Omega 161
12. The Secular Apocalypse 174
References 189
Index 201