Introduction

This chapter introduces the book and outlines its main goals. It reflects on the origins of critical terrorism studies (CTS), the first research agenda laid down by the founders of CTS, and its development throughout the last decades. Then it reflects on the main goals of the book. The heterogeneity of approaches included in the volume allow for a holistic reflection on CTS. The various chapters reflect on issues and topics that, so far, have been underexplored in the sub-field. They all suggest CTS ways to move forward and to think of issues that, while still understudied, represent important spheres of analysis if emancipation is to be pursued. In this sense, the introduction presents the volume but also explains how it brings CTS to engage in a dialogue with new approaches, topics, and themes that will enrich the ways to study terrorism and counterterrorism – thus broadening the horizon of CTS.