Fundamentalism: The Search For Meaning

by Malise Ruthven

Book Overview

Since the end of the Cold War, fundamentalism has been seen as the major threat to world peace, a conclusion that was burned into our consciousness on September 11th and that is reinforced almost... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192840916
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 1.0" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Sadly relevant

This is an extended essay on the nature of fundamentalism, its historical roots and its relationship to religion and nationalism. The book is not just about Islamic fundamentalism, but rather fundamentalism as a 'family' including Christian, Jewish, and other siblings The most crucial insight is that fundamentalism is not about religion but about fighting the oustider. The core issues of fundamentalism, for example homosexuality, women's rights, or evolution, are often of token significance within religion. Fundamentalists choose issues based on their utility in drawing lines between themselves and others, the focus is on fighting rather then on God. The fundamentalist strives for unity by removing the outsider, and pluralism is the worst kind of heresy. Another insight is the relationship between fundamentalism and nationalism. They're both about drawing lines of separation, they both have shrines and saints, and both can be used to justify murder. They are essentially symbiotic, the one promoting the other. Recommended as a first book on understanding the 21st century.

A very solid, readable introduction

This short volume (available in hard and soft cover editions) is a very solid and accessible introduction to the topic. Like most contemporary scholars, Ruthven treats the issue of Fundamentalism as a reaction to the challenges of modernity. As a way of demonstrating this, his approach is comparative and cross-cultural, including not only the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, but also serious treatment of other traditions as well (most notably Hinduism, but other religions are covered). This being said, his primary concern is the development of fundamentalisms in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and the majority of the work is devoted to trends in these three religions. In this (and in his emphasis on modernity), the work is similar to Karen Armstrong's THE BATTLE FOR GOD. Armstrong's work is far more detailed but, in my opinion, Ruthven is more analytically sound. While certainly not the last word on this very important subject (the scholarship on fundamentalisms is both rich and broad), this is a fine introduction, well thought out and well written. A useful book for the classroom and an enjoyable read for everybody else.

Excellent discussion and description of religious extremism

This short book by Malise Ruthven provides a discussion of the meaning and context of religious fundamentalism (Ruthven often refers to it as the F-word). Ruthven looks at different aspects of the phenomenon, comparing and contrasting fundamentalists, traditionalists, and those who believe in the inerrency of their given religious texts. The most valuable insights of this short book are the two on relatively long chapters on fundamentalism and nationalism, and how the two often intertwine and provide justification for the other. The only weakness is that Ruthven focuses a majority of his efforts on the three "Abrahamaic" religions, i.e. Christianity, Islam, and Judiaism. There are some incursions into eastern religions (especially the recently kicked out of government BJP in India). Other than this, the book was an excellent effort to discuss this pressing topic.