Fundamentalism

Fundamentalism is a tendency found in certain groups and individuals that involves a strict literal interpretation of important texts such as scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies. People who are fundamentalists strongly believe in sticking to core ideas and often feel a deep need to separate themselves from others who do not share these beliefs. This can lead to a strong desire to return to a previous ideal that they think is pure and correct.

The word "fundamentalism" is most often used when talking about religion. It describes a strong attachment to basic, unchanging beliefs, known as the "fundamentals." Scholars see fundamentalism as a modern reaction against changes in society and religion, such as modernist, secularist, liberal, and ecumenical tendencies. These changes are often seen as threats to traditional values.

Depending on how it is used, calling someone a fundamentalist can sometimes be negative or insulting, much like calling political views "right-wing" or "left-wing" can carry negative feelings. This shows that the term can be more about criticism than a simple description.

Religious fundamentalism

Main article: Christian fundamentalism

Main article: Islamic fundamentalism

Main article: Jewish fundamentalism

Main article: New Atheism

Religious fundamentalism means holding strong beliefs that strictly follow sacred texts or traditions. In Christianity, it began in the early 1900s in the United States, where leaders wanted to keep traditional beliefs against new ideas. They focused on key teachings like the virgin birth of Jesus and the Bible being completely true.

In Islam, fundamentalist ideas go back many centuries and have appeared in many countries. These beliefs often involve a strict return to what followers see as the original, pure form of the religion. Similar strong beliefs exist in other religions too, where followers aim to stick closely to traditional teachings and practices.

Politics

In modern politics, fundamentalism is often linked with right-wing politics, especially social conservatism. Social conservatives usually support policies that match religious fundamentalist views, like school prayer and opposing LGBT rights and abortion. On the other hand, secularism is more common in left-wing or liberal politics.

The term "fundamentalism" is used in many ways in politics. Sometimes, groups use it to criticize their opponents, changing their meaning depending on what they want. For example, some people were once called freedom fighters, but later seen as fundamentalists when their views changed. The idea of fundamentalism can also apply to strong beliefs in things that aren’t religious, like very strict economic policies.

Criticism

Some people have criticized fundamentalism by pointing out challenges in fully understanding ancient religious texts. They say that because humans interpret these texts, our understanding can include human errors and may not perfectly match the original divine message.

Other studies have looked at how different traits might relate to strong religious beliefs. For example, a study from the University of Edinburgh suggested that certain personality traits might be linked to higher levels of religious fundamentalism. Influential critics include James Barr on Christian fundamentalism and Bassam Tibi on Islamic fundamentalism.

Use as a label

The Associated Press AP Stylebook advises against using the term "fundamentalist" for any group that does not use that label themselves. Some scholars follow this advice. However, other scholars use the term more broadly to describe various religious groups, even those who might disagree with being called fundamentalists, as discussed in the Fundamentalism Project.

According to Tex Sample, it is incorrect to label someone simply as a Muslim, Jewish, or Christian fundamentalist. Instead, their focus on fundamentalism should be considered more important than their specific religious affiliation.