Religious Fundamentalism

<p>How does a religious fundamentalist come to embrace a counter-cultural world view?</p><p>Fundamentalism can be analysed from a variety of perspectives. It is a type of belief system which enables individuals to make sense of their lives and provides them with an identity. It is a social phenomenon in which strictly religious people act according to the norms values and beliefs of the group to which they belong. It is a cultural product in the sense that different cultural settings result in different forms of fundamentalism. And it is a global phenomenon in the obvious sense that it is to be found everywhere and also because it is both a reaction against and also a part of the globalising modern world.</p><p><em>Religious Fundamentalism</em> deals with all of these four levels of analysis uniquely combining sociological and psychological perspectives and relating them to each other. Each chapter is followed by a lengthy case study and these range from a close textual analysis of George W. Bush’s second inaugural speech through to a treatment of Al-Qaida as a global media event.</p><p>This book provides a comprehensive social scientific perspective on a subject of immense contemporary significance and should be of use both to university students and also to students of the contemporary world.</p>