The Battle for God: A History of FundamentalismIn the late twentieth century, fundamentalism has emerged as one of the most powerful forces at work in the world, contesting the dominance of modern secular values and threatening peace and harmony around the globe. Yet it remains incomprehensible to a large number of people. In The Battle for God, Karen Armstrong brilliantly and sympathetically shows us how and why fundamentalist groups came into existence and what they yearn to accomplish. We see the West in the sixteenth century beginning to create an entirely new kind of civilization, which brought in its wake change in every aspect of life -- often painful and violent, even if liberating. Armstrong argues that one of the things that changed most was religion. People could no longer think about or experience the divine in the same way; they had to develop new forms of faith to fit their new circumstances. Armstrong characterizes fundamentalism as one of these new ways of being religious that have emerged in every major faith tradition. Focusing on Protestant fundamentalism in the United States, Jewish fundamentalism in Israel, and Muslim fundamentalism in Egypt and Iran, she examines the ways in which these movements, while not monolithic, have each sprung from a dread of modernity -- often in response to assault (sometimes unwitting, sometimes intentional) by the mainstream society. Armstrong sees fundamentalist groups as complex, innovative, and modern -- rather than as throwbacks to the past -- but contends that they have failed in religious terms. Maintaining that fundamentalism often exists in symbiotic relationship with an aggressive modernity, each impelling the other on to greater excess, she suggests compassion as a way to defuse what is now an intensifying conflict. BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Karen Armstrong's Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life. |
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... lives , we mortal men and women fall very easily into despair . The mythos of a society provided people with a context that made sense of their day- to - day lives ; it directed their attention to the eternal and the universal . It was ...
... lives , we mortal men and women fall very easily into despair . The mythos of a society provided people with a context that made sense of their day- to - day lives ; it directed their attention to the eternal and the universal . It was ...
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... lives and provided them with meaning . Instead of Jews being a marginalized people , thrust out of the modern world that was coming into being , their experience was in tune with the most fundamental laws of exis- tence . Even God ...
... lives and provided them with meaning . Instead of Jews being a marginalized people , thrust out of the modern world that was coming into being , their experience was in tune with the most fundamental laws of exis- tence . Even God ...
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... live morally would cure the ills of society more effectively than complicated figh . For centuries , Sufis had taught their disciples to reproduce the Muham- madan paradigm in their own lives ; they had also insisted that the way to God ...
... live morally would cure the ills of society more effectively than complicated figh . For centuries , Sufis had taught their disciples to reproduce the Muham- madan paradigm in their own lives ; they had also insisted that the way to God ...
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achieve Agudat American Appleby eds Arabic Ayatollah became become believed Bible British century Chicago and London Christian conservative create culture declared divine doctrine Egypt Egyptian Enlightenment established ethos Europe European faith Falwell Faqih felt fundamentalists God's Gush Gush Emunim Haredim Hasidim Hasidism Hidden Imam holy human Husain Ibid ideology insisted Iran Iranian Israel Israeli jahiliyyah Jewish Fundamentalism Jews jihad Judaism Kabbalah Keddie Khomeini Kook Kookists Koran Land leaders liberal lives logos madrasahs Majlis Mamluk Marranos Messianism Middle East modern world movement Muhammad mujtahids Mulla Sadra Muslim mystical myth mythical mythos Ottoman practical premodern Prophet Protestant Qutb Rabbi radical rational reform regime Religion and Politics religious religious Zionists Revolution sacred Sadat Satan scientific Scott Appleby secular secularist seemed sense shah Shariah Shariati Shiah Shiism social society spiritual Tehran tion Torah traditional truth ulema ummah United vision West Western women yeshiva York Zionist