Religious Fundamentalism

Religious Fundamentalism

Finding changes in society as a threat.
Literal interpretations of Holy Books.
Wanting to return to the fundamentals of the religion

Davie- often has a negative connotation

Synoptic links

Globalisation
NRMs
NAMs
CAGE
Secularisation debate

Why might an individual be drawn to religious fundamentalism?

Fear of assimilation
Risk society- more uncertainty, more certainty with religion
Military invasions e.g., Iraq, Afghanistan

The impact of globalisation on religion

AO1

Meyer

Created increased religious diversity
Religion is less tied to geographical locations

Deterritorialization

Blurring of social, political, cultural practices like religion from their original places and populations

Singleton

Turned religions into transnational religion
e.g., Islam- Muslim community is worldwide- 'ummah', goes beyond national borders.
Collective identity

AO2

Danish cartoonist characterising Prophet Muhammad (pubs)
Global outrage

Authoritative sacred text

Without flaws, absolute- interpreted literally.
God's words and free of error

Aldridge

Us vs them mentality

Distinguish themselves from wider society
Rest of the world as corrupted

Davie

Aggressive reaction

In order to shock, harm & draw attention to their beliefs and ideas

Use of modern technology

Even though they are against tech
Used as a tool to educate and recruit

Hadden and Shupe- televangelism
Aqsa Mahmood

Patriarchy

Hawley- patriarchal in structure
Men>women socially and economically

Prophecy

Belief in the last day
Reference todays events with the prophecies e.g., skyscrapers as sign of the last days

Conspiracy theories

Hidden agendas in the world e.g., Jews are conspiring to take over the world

What do fundamentalists do?

Extremist values and violence- against FBV, enforce values.
May not be openly violent e.g., Capital Riots

Bombing of abortion clinics
7/7 bombings
9/11 twin towers

AO2- Boko Haram

14th April 2014 Boko Haram an Islamic extremist group abducted 276 girls from a boarding school in Chibok, Nigeria.

The heavily armed militants kidnapped the girls. Over 50 of the girls later escaped.

Boko Haram which means 'Western information is forbidden' promotes the view that women should not be educated

In 2015 a video was released showing the girls wearing Islamic dress and quoting from the Koran.

Boko Haram spokesperson said some of the Christian students had converted to Islam.

Boko Haram has killed thousands of people in its campaign for an Islamic state since 2002

AO2- New Christian Right

New Christian Right (Bruce)- form of protest against social change.

'Take America back to God'- Bible interpreted in a literal sense

Creationism
Influence in right wing politics e.g. abortion reform

AO2- ISIS

Extremist group has waged a violent campaign capturing large areas of territory to create a global Islamic State.

Leader Abu-Bakr al Baghdadi as caliph

Committed to holy war across boundaries

Forcibly impose religion - a fundamentalist interpretation of the Koran and Sharia law

Create a theocracy and eliminate separation between religion and state

Unequal and patriarchal laws

Used violence to achieve aims e.g. Paris attacks in 2015

Davie

'fundamentalists are themselves a product of modernity, in so far as they are born out of the clash between modernity and traditional cultures'

Modernity leads to religious groups feeling threatened of their traditional values, feel they need to defend themselves

Giddens

Fundamentalism is a product of and reaction to globalisation which undermines traditional social norms concerning the nuclear family, gender roles and sexuality.

In contrast with cosmopolitanism
Reflexive approach

Beck

Risk society
People return back to dogmatic structures for security

Bauman

Response to postmodern living.
Some attract truth through absolute fundamentalism

Castells

Project and resistance identity.
Project- enforce within religion, ponder on world issues
Resistance- fundamentalism, defensive reaction to modernisation and globalisation

AO3 - Beckford

● Distinguish too sharply between fundamentalism and cosmopolitanism

● Too fixated on fundamentalism and ignores other impacts of globalization on other religions such as Catholicism

● Giddens lumps all types of fundamentalism together - without exploring their differences

AO3- Haynes

Fundamentalism may not always be a response to globalization e.g. failure of local elites to improve standards of living in the Middle East

Who becomes a fundamentalist (AO1)

Lack of educational awareness of other religions/your own

Young people- marginalised so seeking status and sense of belonging.

W/c- create a new ideology e.g., Cargo cults
Social inequality

Increased risk and inequality
Crisis of masculinity- defend traditional values

Current affairs e.g., conflict in the Middle East, images of civilians to gain sympathy.

Western imperialism- invasions by the West

Monotheism and Fundamentalism - Bruce

Fundamentalism is confined to monotheistic religions
Different fundamentalist groups have different origins

In the West - Response to change, moving towards liberal/secular ideas e.g., NCR 'taking America back to God'
Reshaping laws back to traditional laws

In the Third World - reaction to Western imperialism and ideology trying to thrust itself into other countries e.g., Shah of Iran banning the abaya, removing Islamic calendar

Secular Fundamentalism - Davie

1. The first phase gave rise to religious fundamentalism
Enlightenment- rational thinking gave rise to R.F- preventing social change- coming under threat

2. The second phase is giving rise to secular fundamentalism
1970s onwards- post modernity- death of the metanarrative.
Enlightenment is coming under attack e.g., environmental, Neo-Nazi, Marxist fundamentalists

AO2

EDL and nationalism
Neo-Nazis
Environmentalists- JSO
Marxists
Disintegration of communist Yugoslavia- creating territories of them vs us

AO3- Ansell

Some policies are fundamentalists- culturally racist
Use terms like 'universalism' to avoid being called racist e.g. France

AO3- Hervieu-Leger

Cultural amnesia
Research and find religion themselves- easier to fall into R.F

Clash of Civilisations - Huntington

The 7 Civilisations
Western, Islamic, Latin-American, Confucian (China), Japanese, Hindu and Slavic-Orthodox (Russia and Eastern Europe)

Religious differences are a major source of conflict -Islamic fundamentalism is not the cause/problem itself- it is religion

Globalisation had made nation states less important and instead religion has become a source of identity.
Has caused more contact between civilisations causing conflict

AO2-

9/11
London bombings- 2005
Conflict- World Cup in Qatar

Kurtz

Growing encounter of different/same religions is creating a culture war

AO3- Jackson

Example of orientalism- stereotypes other nations especially Islam

AO3- Casanova

Ignores divisions within civilisations e.g., Northern Ireland, Sunni and Shia division

AO3- Horrie and Chippindale

Misleading and portrays Islam as the enemy
e.g., minority of the 1.5bn Muslims are interested in a 'holy war'

AO3- Armstrong

Hostility towards the West does not stem from fundamentalism, its actually a reaction of the West supporting oppressive regimes.
e.g., UK supporting Israel

AO3- Norris and Inglehart

World Value Survey
Both Western and Islamic civilisations supported democracy
Differences arise in gender and sexuality

AO3- Whitaker

Islamic fundamentalism is stereotyped as intolerant, misogynistic, violent and cruel

AO3- Ameli et al

Media discussions of the hijab since 9/11- display as oppressive

AO3- Cole

White terrorists get preferential treatment e.g., mental health considered

AO3- Vox study

2011-13
Guns killed more people than AIDS, overdoses and terrorism combined