Since the early 1970’s, religious violence and terrorism have become salient topics in American political and social discourse. The growing prominence of religious violence underscores the need to understand these acts of terror and violence. This study will explore the modern-day effects of religious violence, leading up to the attacks in New York City and Washington DC on September 11, 2001. In order to demonstrate the broader and wider effects of 9/11 on American society and thought, this research paper will touch on the psychological and sociological constructs behind religious terrorism, as well as the American perception of religion and “freedom of religion.” This essay will argue that the tragic events of September 11 were part of a growing pattern of religious violence, from the Christian Identity Movement to the 1993 siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas that have increased in number and brutality in the United States since the 1970s
