The religious factor of terrorism in modern society

The article deals with such socially dangerous phenomenon as religious extremism. The author gives various definitions of extremism, reveals its varieties and the most significant features. It is determined that the means of extremism is terrorism, which is a protest behavior, a form of identity search. It is noted that the origins of religious terrorism lie either in the radicalization of the existing dogmas, values and norms of a certain religion, or outside the confessions as a result of the syncretization of different creeds or the creation of a new doctrine. It is noted that radical Islamism and terrorism often represent the protest behavior of young Muslims, caused by a number of social, political and economic factors, carried out under the cover of religious slogans of the "Holy war" (Jihad). The author identifies the causes of religious terrorism and concludes that religious terrorism ideologically represents a certain mutation of religious consciousness.