Religious Fundamentalism

Paper Summary:

The paper examines Karen Armstrong's "Holy War", Mark Juergensmeyer's "Terror in the Mind of God" and Malise Ruthven's "Fundamentalism: The Search for Meaning". The paper discusses Armstrong's theory that fundamentalist religion is essentially a response to and a product of modern culture, Juergensmeyer's belief that cultures of violence, and not the religion itself, cause terrorism within fundamental believers and Ruthven's explanation of fundamentalism. The paper shows how the three authors each offer important insight into understanding both the history and current status of religious fundamentalism.

From the Paper:

"In Holy War: Armstrong argues that it was the historic crusades against the Byzantine empire overrun by Muslim Turks by the Christian warriors summoned by Pope Urban II. During this period, the Christian fundamentalist took up the cross and the sword against the Turks with the sole purpose of recovering the holy city of Jerusalem from Islam. It is this initial battle that is still today raging, as the sides of Christians, Jews and Muslims continue to fight against the modern holder of the holy lands, whether the ownership be actual or theoretical."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Armstrong, Karen. The Battle for God. New York: Harper Collins, 2004.
• Armstrong, Karen. Holy War. New York: Random House, 2001.
• Juergensmeyer, Mark. Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence. Berkley: University of California Press, 2003.
• Ruthven, Malise. Fundamentalism: The Search for Meaning. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.

More papers on Religious Fundamentalism:

• Comparison Essay # 2543 : "Religious Fundamentalism in the Modern World"
• Analytical Essay # 123758 : "Religious Fundamentalism and Secularization"
• Essay # 63750 : "Religious Fundamentalism"
• Book Review # 16160 : "Swatos' "Globalization and Religious Fundamentalism"

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