fundamentalism may be anarchy

“Without a practice of community and without religious organizations to help share or make sense of religious longings, today’s fundamentalist makes private demands, voicing private policies that are often the wishes of isolated individualists.

“Without a structure of fellowship and tradition, fundamentalists may be a type of anarchist acting in the streets or increasingly radical politics.

“Seeking to create so-called spiritual governments, railing against the state, and arguing against secular culture, fundamentalists may be only demanding that our state and culture serve their selfish interests.

“Whether it’s members express their burdens because they are globalized or urbanized or isolated, fundamentalism may reflect a type of alienation – less a spiritual movement than an effort to force culture to satisfy personal ambition and private belief.”

  1. Olivier Roy at Eurozine from the Institute for Human Sciences shows how the return of religiosity acts against religion.
  2. With thirty years of research behind him, Professor Bob Altemeyer of the University of Manitoba describes the key characteristics of “my way or the highway” tactics in today’s zealots.