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Christian fundamentalist: An adherent of fundamentalism.

Fundamentalism, strictly defined, is a late 19th - early 20th century movement in the Calvinist churches (Baptist, Reformed, Presbyterian) of the United States, although fundamentalist doctrines have sometimes leaked into other churches and countries. Other usages of the term should be seen as metaphorical; though some, such as 'Islamic fundamentalism', etc. have gained wide currency.

Fundamentalism takes its name from The Fundamentals, a series of early 20th century volumes of essays sponsored by the Stewart brothers (oil industry) which were distributed free throughout the US to clergymen and influential laymen. Fundamentalism defined itself in opposition to protestant 'modernism' and 'liberalism' which dominated the mainstream churches of the day. Whereas, the 'liberal' protestants were optimistic social reformers - attempting to build 'God's kingdom on Earth' - and accepting of modern science and modern historical and literary views of the Bible, fundamentalist took an altogether darker view, regarding Earth as merely a stage on which the cosmic struggle between Good and Evil is taking place.

Contents 1 Christian fundamentalism 2 Islamic fundamentalism 3 Jewish fundamentalism 4 Hindu fundamentalism 5 Buddhist fundamentalism 6 Other 7 Interactions

Christian fundamentalism

Christian fundamentalists believed the Bible to be inspired by God, not just in its message, but also its exact wording, and that their own interpretation was a strict, literal, and 'perspicuous' one. They devoted great attention to the books of Daniel and Revelation, which, along with a few other passages, were held to be the key to cosmic history. The interpretation was 'pre-tribulation rapture premillenialist'. Examples of this doctrine can be seen in the recent books The Late, Great Planet Earth and Tim LaHaye's Left Behind potboiler series.

A 21st century Christian fundamentalist (predominantly Protestant rather than Catholic) is a person who:

1. Believes the Bible to be the divinely inspired Word of God
  1a. AND who believes in a strict literal interpretation thereof;
  1b. AND who believes that the final book thereof, "Revelation" of John, entails a literal fortelling of natural events [still] yet to come, or worse yet, transpiring right now.
2. Build's his/her worldview on this foundation

By their literal interpretation, only 144,000 of them will be "saved" during "the rapture", and there are quite a few more adherents to this view than the alloted number.

In recent years, the term began to take on a negative connotation in some situations. It is sometimes used as a way to stereotype Christians as people who are out of touch with modern thinking, or hyper-conservative, or ignorant in regard to science. However, Christian fundamentalism has historically been associated at times with progressive, reformist and even left-leaning politics, as Karen Armstrong documents in her book, The Battle for God.

The more violent breed of fundamentalist often claims it is their duty to create events, usually having to do with Jerusalem or Israel, which fit into their [illusory] expectations of biblical prophecy, ironically, as if "the hand of God" needed their personal assistance to carry out the ineviatable. The Fellowship may be a group of this kind. Likewise, the evangelical organisation Jews for Jesus has been criticised for having an agenda related to this worldview.

Islamic fundamentalism

The term Islamic fundamentalism has been very much in the news lately. Adherents to this extremist interpretation of the Muslim holy book, the Koran, have recently carried out violent and bloody attacks against their perceived enemies. Today, there are probably more Islamic fundamentalists than fundamentalists of other religious faiths and their fanaticism is perhaps more intense than that of the followers of other religions.

Jewish fundamentalism

Jewish fundamentalism also exists in the form of extreme "conservatism" and various strains of "orthodox" Judaism - often lumped together under ultra-orthodox Judaism, although this term too describes extremely peaceful sects such as Neturei Karta, and violent Zionist movements that literally advocate mass deportations of Arabs by force, demolition of the Al Aqsa mosque, and executions of all those who resist.

Hindu fundamentalism

Hindu fundamentalism generally refers to an adherence to Hindu caste rules and taboos, and a traditional view of the Hindu family. Political parties in India have exploited it to their advantage. A pacifist strain (so pacifist it was called suicide pacifism by critics) based on Mohandas Gandhi's views of what was essential Hinduism, however, was very popular during India's freedom struggle. Such was the Hindu revulsion to Gandhi's assassination by a Hindu fundamentalist (Nathuram Godse who feared that Gandhi's pro-Muslim pacifism would lead to extinction of the Hindu race), that the Hindu fundamentalist movement was on life-support for some 40 years after that cruel killing.

The recent and unfortunate resurgence of Hindu fundamentalism is essentially a reaction to Islamic fundamentalism in India and to terrorist acts by Muslims in the Indian state of Kashmir. It is also a result of a grievance in the Hindu society about the twisted secularism followed in the country whereby the minorities enjoy more rights than the majority.

However, in May 2004, India's majority Hindus voted out a "Hindu nationalist" government and voted in a "secular" Congress government headed by a non-Hindu - a Sikh. The Hindu society is basically tolerant and secular because of the underlying message in its scriptures -- God is one but it appears in different forms to different people. Just like a man doesn't become a different person by a change of clothes, so though dressed in various ways and forms, it is the same God Who is being worshipped. This philosophy ensures that all the world's religions are given equal respect by the Hindus. For instance, India is the only country in the world where Jews were never persecuted. Hindus though have been on the recieving end of religious fundamentalism for about a thousand years (since 1192 AD when Indian was invaded by Afghanized Turks).

Buddhist fundamentalism

Buddhist fundamentalism has been less, both in quantity and quality, than other fundamentalisms described here. The exception is Sri Lanka, where a Buddhist fundamentalist assassinated Bandaranaike, Ceylon's first prime minister. Today, the inflexibility of Buddhist priests in Sri Lanka prevents reconciliation between the Sinhalese Buddhist majority and the minority Tamils who have stooped to vicious terrorism as a violent means to achieve their goal of an independent homeland.

Other

Other Eastern religious traditions, like Jainism and Zorastrianism have not generally been classified as having "fundamentalist" and "not fundamentalist" adherents. However, sociologist Jeffrey K. Hadden describes the concept of "global fundamentalism" to include religiously motivated politically active groups existing in a variety of religious traditions and political systems. [1]

Nonetheless, as the birthplace of fundamentalism, the early 20th Century United States' unusual investment in the written word provided a uniquely rich environment for a religous movement that affords extreme authority to a document. Classic Christian fundamentalism emerged in turn from a religion that had developed around a written text. Protestantism had grown apart from Catholicism largely by demanding more individual access to a venerated document. Perhaps only Muslims depend as much on a written text as a core element of their faith.

With the spread of information technology, however, Eastern and Western traditions have become more similar, such as with the Buddist Dalai Lama publishing written texts for world-wide perusal.

"The American Academy of Arts and Sciences funded a multiyear project that brought scholars from around the world together to study Fundamentalism. Ultimately they produced 5 volumes containing almost 8,000 pages of material. Admitting some difficulty with the term, the project opts to use it anyway for a variety of reasons. Essentially, they argue that it is commonly accepted, here to stay, and the best term anyone can come up with for this phenomena. The last chapter of volume 1, Fundamentalisms Observed, discusses the "family resemblances" found in the various chapters.

"These family resemblances include:

• religious idealism as basis for personal and communal identity;
• fundamentalists understand truth to be revealed and unified;
• it is intentionally scandalous, (similar to Lawrence's point about language -- outsiders cannot understand it);
• fundamentalists envision themselves as part of a cosmic struggle;
• they seize on historical moments and reinterpret them in light of this cosmic struggle;
• they demonize their opposition and are reactionary;
• fundamentalists are selective in what parts of their tradition and heritage they stress;
• they are led by males;
• they envy modernist cultural hegemony and try to overturn the distribution of power." [ibid]

Interactions

Fundamentalists are minorities within their own religions and their main goal is to become mainstream. Their main enemies are not "evil" fundamentalists from other religions but moderates within their own ranks. A surge in fundamentalism in other religions can to the contrary help them recruit new followers and legitimate their own radicalism.

Feeding on each other's propaganda, Christian and Islamic fundamentalists managed to gain momentum across the world by ruling the media agenda following 9/11.