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Political Ideologies: An Introduction

Fundamentalism

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QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

y y Why is fundamentalism often considered to be a pejorative term? y y Do all political ideologies harbour fundamentalist tendencies? y y What are the key features of fundamentalist religion? y y Is secularism compatible with religious belief? y y Is the rise of religious fundamentalism evidence of a ‘clash of civilizations’? y y Is religious fundamentalism necessarily based on a belief in the literal truth of sacred texts? y y Are religious fundamentalists always anti- modern?

y y Is fundamentalism implicitly totalitarian and prone to violence? y y In what sense is Islamism fundamentalist in character? y y To what extent is Christian fundamentalism compatible with constitutionalism and political pluralism? y y What is the relationship between religious fundamentalism and ethnic nationalism? y y Why and how does fundamentalism resemble populism? y y Does religious fundamentalism have a future?

FURTHER READING

Almond, G., Appleby, R.S. & Sivan, E. Strong Religion: The Rise of Fundamentalisms around the World (2003). Exploring the rise in fundamentalist movements internationally in the twenty-first century, and its implications for politics and society. Part of the excellent Fundamentalism Project. Fox, J. An Introduction to Religion and Politics: Theory and Practice , 2nd edn (2018). A solid general introduction to religion in modern politics, including fundamentalist ideas. Dowland, S. Family Values and the Rise of the Christian Right (2018). An excellent overview of the emergence of Christian fundamentalist politics in the United States and its continuing impact in Western politics.

Mandaville, P. Islam and Politics (2014). A comprehensive survey of the development of political Islamism and its major national or sectional variations, as well as its influence in contemporary global politics. Political Theology Network www.politicaltheology. com. A well-maintained hub of commentary, debates and other media on the intersections between religion and politics.