Elements of strategic culture such as ideology can have a contradictory impact on the use and utility of force precisely because they are not deterministic. Ideology shapes strategic behavior in various ways, and can have both positive and negative effects. It means that the application of ideological thinking to different arenas of strategy may in some cases prove beneficial and in others detrimental. This article summarizes the contradictory effects of jihadist ideology. The influence of jihadist ideology on war-fighting forces shapes a distinctive form of strategic thought and behavior, with corresponding consequences for the use and utility of military force. Jihadist ideology has evolved into a powerful legitimizing foundation for asymmetric warfare in the form of terrorism, insurgency, and resistance to foreign occupation. This article examines the manifestation of jihadist ideology in the strategic thought and behavior of war-fighting. Specifically, it addresses the question of how ideological elements might become operationalized in the context of an irredentist jihad, and considers their potential impact on the ultimate utility of force. It suggests that in fact the effects of jihadist ideology on war-fighting forces are contradictory. 65 notes