The article explores one of the burning problems of our time – the fight against religious terrorism. On the basis of general and special scientific methods, the nature and ways of occurrence of this type of crime are considered, bearing huge human sacrifices, incalculable human losses, the destruction of countries, their state-forming foundation. The analysis carried out by the authors reveals the causes and the level of activation of the spread of religious terrorism, the high degree of its conflictogenic nature. Through the use of a number of illustrative examples, historically and empirically determined, they manage to trace the transformation of human consciousness from the simplest form of its dissociation to religious fanaticism as the driving force of religious terrorism. The study provides examples of strategic and legal support for the fight against terrorism, including religious terrorism, the role of international and national bodies in this process. It is noted that the most important factor in effectively countering any kind of terrorism is the unification of the efforts of the state and civil society, the use of real and preventive measures that will significantly weaken the destructive potential of terror, its transformation into the core of civilizational clashes.