Fundamentalism: The Search For Meaning

by Malise Ruthven

Overview

Since the end of the Cold War fundamentalism has been seen as the major threat to world peace and prosperity, a concern that was exacerbated by the events of 9/11, and the 'War against Terrorism'.But what does 'fundamentalism' really mean? Since it was coined by American Protestant evangelicals in the 1920s, the word has expanded its meaning to include radical conservatives or ideological purists in many spheres of activity, not all of them religious. Modern applications of fundamentalism include Islamist radicals in the Muslim world, the militant Israeli settlers who oppose them as well as Sikh, Hindu and even Buddhist nationalists who seek to justify their political agendas byreference to divine edicts or religious tradition. This exciting new book tackles the polemic and stereotypes surrounding this fascinating subject.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191647222
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	03/24/2005
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Malise Ruthven has taught at the University of Aberdeen, at the University of California, San Diego, and at Dartmouth College. He is the author of A Fury for God: The Islamist Attack on America, A Satanic Affair: Salman Rushdie and the Wrath of Islam, and Islam in the World. Now a full-time writer, he divides his life between London and Normandy.

Table of Contents

1	Family Resemblances	1
2	The Scandal of Difference	35
3	The Snares of Literalism	59
4	Controlling Women	95
5	Fundamentalism and Nationalism I	127
6	Fundamentalism and Nationalism II	153
7	Conclusion	193
	Notes	221
	Select Bibliography	231
	Index	237