Fundamentalism: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #155

by Malise Ruthven

Fundamentalism is seen as the major threat to world peace today, a conclusion impossible to ignore since the events in New York on September 11, 2001. But what does "fundamentalism" really mean?

Since it was coined by American Protestant evangelicals in the 1920s, the use of the term "fundamentalist" has expanded to include a diverse range of radical conservatives and ideological purists, not all religious. Fundamentalism could now mean both militant Israeli settlers as well as the Islamist radicals who oppose them, it can mean Christians, Hindus, animal liberationists, and even Buddhist nationalists. Here, Middle East expert Malise Ruthven investigates fundamentalism's historical, social, religious, political, and ideological roots, and tackles the polemic and stereotypes surrounding this complex phenomena--one that eludes simple definition, yet urgently needs to be understood.

Genres: Religion, Philosophy, Politics, Nonfiction, History, Sociology, Science

154 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Malise Ruthven is the author of Islam in the World, The Divine Supermarket: Shopping for God in America, A Satanic Affair: Salman Rushdie and the Wrath of Islam and several other books. His Islam: A Very Short Introduction has been published in several languages, including Chinese, Korean, Romanian, Polish, Italian and German.

A former scriptwriter with the BBC Arabic and World Services, Dr Ruthven holds an MA in English Literature and a PhD in Social and Political Sciences from Cambridge University. He has taught Islamic studies, cultural history and comparative religion at the University of Aberdeen, the University of California, San Diego, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire and Colorado College.

Now a full-time writer, he is currently working on Fundamentalism: A Very Short Introduction and Arabesque and Crucifix, a study in comparative religious iconography.

Reviews

[Daniel Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

The term 'fundamentalism' originally comes from a specific event in early twentieth century American protestantism. To what extent, then, is it applicable to anything else? A very great extent, argues Malise Ruthven. The use of 'the F-word' to describe political-cum-religious movements is characterized by a rejection of modernity. It is in this distinct from 'traditionalism' which is characterized as the continuation of pre-modern traditions that have yet to be challenged by modernity.

Ruthven is a clear and engaging writer, and an insightful and original thinker on the topic of religion. The main fault of this book is a tendency to overly broad generalisation, which is probably inevitable when discussing a topic of this magnitude with so little space. There is still a strong possibility of its becoming a defining textbook in its field.

Chapter 1: Family resemblances
Chapter 2: The scandal of difference
Chapter 3: The snares of literalism
Chapter 4: Controlling women
Chapter 5: Fundamentalism and nationalism I
Chapter 6: Fundamentalism and nationalism II
Chapter 7: Conclusion

[Margaret Unger · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't feel "introduced" to fundamentalism after having read this book. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person, but this book seems to have been written for the elite of the intelligent. Nearly every other sentence was run-on, full of sophisticated words and nebulous concepts that I found difficult to parse, much less understand. I found it jumped around without following a logical progression, hence making it even more difficult to understand. I might give this book another try at a later time but I will avoid this author in the future. Certainly not for public consumption.

[Tabarek Raad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruthven takes the reader into a semantic a journey to discover the roots of a word which is constantly shaking the world. Not a big fan of semantics though! the family resemblance Ruthven draws between the advocates of fundamentalism is worth mentioning since distinctions among them must not be drawn sharply. The paradoxical results the author brings about is really hilarious and shows how superficial these movements are, how manipulative they can be and how willing they should be to strike friendships with those they run counter.

[Joshua Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruthven's analysis is (as the title suggests) very brief. That's not to say that there aren't some interesting points in it, but there are so many examples that the points are difficult to materialize. That said, it's a worthwhile read for someone familiar with religious studies or religion in the modern world, but without a grasp of the history involved, it becomes something between difficult and impossible.

[Art · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the author lays out some interesting ideas concerning “fundamentalism,” he has trouble defining it and doesn’t seem to see any of the strengths of the “fundamentalist” position. The author appears to be a typical secular humanist academic with all the baggage and bias that comes with that belief system.

[jiik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting point of view, but it's hard to take what he says about Hinduism seriously when he misspells common words that 30 seconds of googling would correct. I'm not as familiar with the other religions, so it's possible he's misspelled words from those cultures as well.

[Jacob Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read for a basic overview of fundamentalism but slow in parts and at times seems like it is trying to confuse you instead of teach you.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Irish-born Religious Studies Scholar Malise Ruthven wrote a short introduction to religious fundamentalism. The book was published in 2007. The book is older, but the book is still a readable introduction to studying religious fundamentalism. Religious fundamentalism was coined in 1920 to mean American Protestants worried about the changing American society and wanting to return to a more religious society based on a close reading of the Bible (Ruthven 8-9). I agree with the Goodreads reviewer David Wright that “It is distinct from 'traditionalism,' which is characterized as the continuation of pre-modern traditions that have yet to be challenged by modernity.” Religious fundamentalism describes political and religious movements that reject modernity (Ruthven 4) and use the literal meaning of various religious traditions while using modern technology to spread their message (Ruthven 31). Ruthven has an opinion on the subject of religious fundamentalism. Ruthven is a character in the book. Throughout the book, Ruthven argues that religious fundamentalism can be used for other religious traditions other than Protestant ones (4-6). Each chapter of the book looks at a different theme in the study of religious fundamentalism that most religious fundamentalist traditions include. The book has illustrations. The book has a section of references and an index. The book has a section entitled “further reading” (Ruthven 142-144). Ruthven’s book is a readable older introduction to studying religious fundamentalism. I found the review by the Goodreads reviewer David Wright helpful in writing this ‘review.’

[Choong Chiat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a multi-layered examination and unpacking of the umbrella term or phenomenon of "fundamentalism".



By doing so, the author perhaps put forth the argument that "fundamentalism", especially the most recent variant of it, as essentially a reactionary response to the challenges brought about by modernisation and globalisation. One example of a challenge of modernisation and globalisation highlighted by the author would be that of the significant increase in the diversity of choices available to people in today's world.



Also, the author make the observation that "fundamentalism", in contrast with traditionalism, is more than a religious phenomenon, in that it is also a socio-political phenomenon. The author shows this through two chapters examining how "fundamentalism" is perhaps really "religious nationalism" in certain places.



However, as an earlier reviewer of this book here has pointed out, the language and style of writing found in this book are arguably not made for easy or accessible reading.

[Maughn Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another jewel in the Oxford's Very Short Introduction series. A complex but compact primer on the many faces of religious fundamentalism and how they relate - and don't - to nationalism, secularism and many other 'isms.

[Chris Comis · Rating 2 out of 5]

What's that you say? No such thing as secular fundamentalism?? Gimme a break. Tell that to Dawkins and Hitchens. Two stars at best.

[Craig Bolton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fundamentalism: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Malise Ruthven (2007)

[Tajah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. Just read it.

[Carl Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please note - It is a good book, but it is old. It needs an update.