Gen Kennedy - Religious Fundamentalism

Religious Fundamentalism – Genevieve Kennedy 41747791

Religious fundamentalism is perhaps the most visible of all religious movements. Fundamentalism represents a ‘swinging back’ of the pendulum towards traditional methods, due to panic at what fundamentalists see as deteriorating morals in society. While all fundamental religions have vastly different beliefs, their reasons and justification for holding such beliefs are extremely comparable. This essay will focus on Islamic and Christian fundamentalism. Key to both Islamic and Christian fundamentalist movements is a belief in the inerrancy and literal interpretation of holy texts, which dictates the way in which a follower lives a moral life. A second similarity is the aversion of both groups to modernity. Ironically, both groups have ably used modern mass communication methods to their advantage. A final characteristic that fundamental Islam and Christianity have in common is the perception of their god’s temperament and character. While criticised widely for their lack of tolerance and extreme practices, both fundamentalist Islam and Christianity are growing movements for a number of reasons. Though these two movements have vastly different ideologies and spiritual beliefs, their way of thinking and validation for such beliefs are unexpectedly similar.


Religious fundamentalism is defined as a belief in and strict adherence to the core teachings, writings and doctrines of a particular religion. Fundamentalist movements often “emerge as a response to a perceived crisis”,(Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance 2001) and its adherents are generally considered to be the most conservative members of a religion. The term “fundamentalist” was first used in the 1909 series of essays, “The Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth”, edited by A.C Dixon. The publication “proposed five required Christian beliefs for those opposed to the Modernist movement.” (Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance 2001) Arguably the two best-known religious fundamental wings are that of Christianity and Islam. The activities of Christian fundamentalists are well-publicised, particularly in relation to controversial issues such as abortion and gay marriage, as well as personal morality and life after death. All beliefs are based upon a literal interpretation of and belief in the inerrancy of the bible. Fundamentalist Christianity has an extremely strong following in the United States of America, where political debate and legislation has played a crucial role in the development of the movement. This religious-political clash touched mainstream America when various Supreme Court trials were heard, concerning mandatory bible reading and the teaching of evolutionary science in schools. The movement has experienced a significant surge in the past four to five decades. (Woodhead & Heelas 2000)


Defining movements in Islam as fundamentalist is more problematic than in Christianity, given that “most believing Muslims, not just those described as Islamists or militants, are fundamentalist in the sense that they take the Koran to be the literal word of God.” (Ruthven 2007, p.40) The term Islamic fundamentalism is often used synonymously with Islamism, a movement within Islam which aims to promote Islam as both a religion and a political system, and encourages Muslims to unite to the fundamental beliefs of Islam. This includes being strong advocates of Sharia law, the legal framework of the Koran. Sharia demands harsh ‘eye-for-an-eye’ style punishments, such as the death penalty for homosexual sex. (Tatchell 1995) Islam fundamentalism is stronger in the Middle East than in any other region. Its followers are often highly critical of Western nations, which are seen to be falling into patterns of modernity, moral failure and secularism.


A core, primary feature of fundamentalism is a belief in the inerrancy and literal interpretation of holy texts. The holy text of Christianity is the Bible, with particular emphasis placed on the Old Testament, with the Koran being the holy text of Islam. While moderate adherents of the same religions also place a high value on the teachings of their holy texts, most will consider parts of the text to be metaphorical or simply outdated, particularly in Christianity. Herriot (2008, p.25) has noted that, “They [fundamentalists] believe that all they need to know is to be found in their holy book or books, and that all other claims to knowledge are to be judged in terms of their compatibility with its contents.” In this way, fundamentalists will denounce and condemn anything that is denounced by their holy text, or anything that fits outside of moral parameters dictated by the text. Another common feature of fundamentalism is the means by which a holy text is considered to be ‘holy’. In both Christianity and Islam, the texts are considered to be the direct word of God, transcribed by a devotee – in Islam’s case the prophet Muhammad, in Christianity’s, multiple disciples and other followers. In a number of cases, an entire arm of belief is based upon a single sentence or passage in a holy text. Fundamentalist may also reject members of their own religion who hold more liberal or progressive beliefs, casting them as sinful. For instance, moderate Muslims may not believe in the national and legal application of Islam Sharia law, which contains extreme penalties and has been internationally criticised as being irreconcilable with human rights legislation (Hirsch 2008) – a viewpoint which would come under heavy criticism from fundamental Muslims.


Fundamentalist Christians, perhaps more than any other religious groups, have used modern mass communication methods to their advantage. Most notably, entire television stations are devoted to evangelical and fundamental Christian broadcasting, as well as the print and radio media being utilized. Fundamentalist and extremist Muslims have also used television networks, such as Al Jazeera to spread their message to a mass audience. (Schimmel 2008)However, the modernity that allows these developments is also a source of panic and dismay for fundamentalists. Over the many centuries since Christian and Islamic holy texts were written, morality has changed significantly. In a general sense, modern society has a far greater tolerance for groups stigmatised even as little a few decades ago, and condemned by holy texts. Progressive science and technology has also impacted upon morality, with the creation and development of contraceptives and pregnancy termination technology. Basic beliefs and religious accounts of history have also been undermined by science. Schimmel (2008, p.101) has noted that, “The threats to biblical fundamentalists are real. They come from modern biblical scholarship, philosophical naturalism, cultural and moral pluralism, and the implications of the facts and theory of evolution for the fundamentalists' theological, religious-anthropological, and ethical worldviews.” (p.102) A key example of science destabilizing a Christian fundamentalist belief concerns the account of creation and age of the universe. Given that fundamentalist Christians see the bible as “inerrant and infallible” (Schimmel 2008, p.4), the biblical account of God creating the world in seven days less than ten thousand years ago is accepted as fact. However, in the mid-19th century, evolutionary theory was published, and sixty years later, the Big Bang theory was presented, both of which entirely contradicted the biblical creation account. Today, these theories are accepted by most of society, perhaps legitimising a common fundamentalist fear that “the process of modernisation leads inevitably to secularism, which is irretrievably reducing traditional religious affiliation, as modern people no longer feel the need for supernatural explanations.” (Herriot 2008, p.22)


In many cases, particularly in relation to modern change, fundamentalists create and engage in condemnation of an ‘other’, both to demonstrate adherence to their holy text, as well as to solidify unity within their group. The process of ‘othering’ is often demonstrated by groups wishing to degrade and debase those who do not fit in with their group’s ideology or identity. By doing this, fundamentalist Muslims and Christians emphasize their commitment to desirable traits, qualities and lifestyles that are supported by their holy texts. (Schimmel 2008) A key example of this process is in the case of fundamentalist Christians rejecting homosexuals. Such Christians assert that the bible dictates homosexuality to be unnatural, sinful and an “abomination”. To further the process of othering, fundamentalist Christians may publically protest against legal and social advancements of homosexual rights. Extreme fundamentalists, such as members of the Westboro Baptist Church, have engaged in this method to the degree that the Church condemns entire countries for their position on homosexual rights. Fundamentalist Muslims also engage in othering; however the process takes a different form – often through Sharia or jihad. (Ruthven 2007)


Each religion differs in its view of God, whether by name, type of entity, gender, traits, and whether they worship one or several Gods. However, fundamentalist religions, specifically Islam and Christianity, hold a similar view of the character and temperament of their respective Gods. Christianity, particularly, has an extremely broad range of beliefs concerning the character of God. Moderate Christians of nearly all denominations depict their God as a loving, affectionate father figure, devoted to the wellbeing and faith of his humans – Christian and non-Christian alike. “Jesus/God loves you” is a common message, and emphasised from an early age in the Christian church. Fundamentalist believers, however, see God as a punishing, and in some cases vindictive figure. God sends punishment for sinning – key to a fundamentalist claim that AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is God’s punishment for homosexuals. Promoting this claim, Jerry Falwell, a fundamentalist Christian preacher, has said, "AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals." (Applebome 2007) The notion of hell, an eternal post-death punishment for sinners. is strongly emphasised.


Many of Allah’s characteristics are comparable to the God of Christianity, such as an eternal presence, omniscience and omnipotence. Similarly, a significant part of fundamental Islamic teaching regarding morality is based upon punishments that will be delivered by Allah should the Koran be disobeyed. Allah is often depicted as a fair and just judge, delivering punishments and rewards both on earth and in the afterlife. (Human Characteristics Ascribed to Allah 2009) It must be noted, however, that this teaching is typical of all levels of Islamic belief, and is not restricted to the fundamentalist movement. Few Muslims would perceive Allah as a brother- or father-figure or confidante. Both fundamentalist Christianity and Islam believe that being a follower of a religion outside their own is a mortal sin, and will result in eternal post-death punishment by their god. (Schimmel 2008)


Fundamentalism has emerged as a relatively popular form of religious movement and expression. Evangelical Christian denominations, which back several fundamentalist beliefs, have seen a significant worldwide growth, particularly among youth and third world nations. These demographics can respectively be attributed to such churches embracing popular culture targeted at youth, and missionary work in regions such as Central Africa and South America. (Geering 2008) A changing morality and quick advance of secularism in society has also contributed to a resurgence of fundamentalist movements, as noted earlier in the essay. Modernity is met by apprehension, and in many cases, sheer panic by fundamentalists. It is for this reason that followers attempt to return to the core, traditional beliefs of their religion. Indeed, the condemnation of the ethical progression in society is so great that a key goal of the fundamentalist movement is to have their beliefs as the basis of their nations’ political-legal system. The rise in popularity of fundamentalist religion may also be somewhat of an ‘all-or-nothing’ attitude by born-again believers, who feel passionate about a holistic religion. (Hood, Hill & Williamson 2005)
Fundamentalists of all religious traditions regard their religion to be the central tenet of their lives, and often believe that their religion should concern not just their own personal spirituality, but the politics of their nation. This is an accurate view of the fundamentalist religious traditions of Islam and Christianity. In spite of holding vastly differing worldviews, the movements share a number of other characteristics, which Ruthven describes as “preconditions of ‘fundamentalism’, defining characteristics in all traditions.” (2007, p.52) This includes an absolute belief in the inerrancy and literal interpretation of respective holy texts, a fear and rejection of modernity and changing moral codes within wider society, and the perception of their respective gods as punishing and threatening. Despite a number of ironies within their belief system, both fundamentalist Christianity and Islam have experienced a rise in popularity, in conjunction with significant media coverage, both positive and negative. Adherents of fundamentalism, while each believing that theirs is the one true path, have extremely similar reasons and justifications for their beliefs, attitudes and ideologies.



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