Religious Violence and Abortion: The Gideon Project

Blanchard and Prewitt, a sociologist and an anthropologist, respectively, at the University of West Florida, examine the anti-abortion movement through the lens of a case study: the 1984 Christmas bombings of three abortion clinics in Pensacola, Fla., described by its perpetrators as a ``birthday gift for Jesus.'' Two of the Pensacola Four, as those brought to trial became known, were found guilty on all counts; the remaining two were convicted only of conspiracy. The authors base their account on interviews with the participants and related parties, as well as on their own observations of the trial. By relating the events both preceding and following the bombings, the authors put these terrorist acts into perspective, considering the links between religious ideology, political action, social isolation and violence. They detail how a series of local defeats for the religious right in Pensacola led to radicalization, culminating in violence, and examine the national context for the violence as well. The authors seek to understand the motivations of those who profess to be ``pro-life'' and yet engage in acts that cause death. Though sometimes a bit dense, this is a fascinating and timely study. (June)