The Revolutionary Global Islamism – Politicized or Political Religion? Applying Eric Voegelin’s Theory to the Dynamics of Political Islam

Abstract

AbstractIn recourse to the theory of fundamentalism Islamism can be defined as a form of “other” or “halved modernity.” Therefore Islamism politicizes the understanding of Islam and has been described often as a ‘politicized religion’. But it is further be necessary to differentiate clearer between Islamist tendencies of traditionalism and totalitarianism: On the one hand there is the aim to restore the ‘naturalness’ and purity of a pre‐modern, monistic world. On the other the ideology of a specific revolutionary type of Islamism can be described partially as totalitarian, gnostic and messianic or defined as a ‘modern political pseudo‐religion’, diametrically opposite to the spirit of the traditional religions such as Christianity, Judaism or Islam itself and rather comparable with ideologies such as Marxism‐Leninism, Fascism and National Socialism. To answer the question whether the revolutionary Islamism is a politicized or political (pseudo‐)religion, this essay applies Eric Voegelin’s Theory of ‘political religion’ to the revolutionary global Islamism expressed by the al‐Qaeda terrorist movement.