Religious Fundamentalism and Social Identity

Religious Fundamentalism and Social Identity PDF Author: Peter Herriot
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317724100
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 145

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Book Description
The attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in the United States of September 11th, 2001 brought the phenomenon of religious fundamentalism to the world's attention.Sociological research has clearly demonstrated that fundamentalists are primarily reacting against modernity, and believe that they are fighting for the very survival of their faith against the secular enemy. But we understand very little about how and why people join fundamentalist movements and embrace a set of beliefs, values and norms of behaviour which are counter-cultural. This is essentially a question for social psychology, since it involves both social relations and individual selves. Drawing on a broad theoretical perspective, social identity theory, Peter Herriot addresses two key questions: why do fundamentalists identify themselves as an in-group fighting against various out-groups? And how do the psychological needs for self-esteem and meaning motivate them? Case studies of Mohammed Atta, the leader of the 9/11 hijackers, and of the current controversy in the Anglican Church about gay priests and bishops, demonstrate how fruitfully this theory can be applied to fundamentalist conflicts. It also offers psychologically sensible ways of managing such conflicts, rather than treating fundamentalists as an enemy to be defeated. Religious Fundamentalism and Social Identity is unique in applying social identity theory to fundamentalism, and rare in that it provides psychological (in addition to sociological) analyses of the phenomenon. It is a valuable resource for courses in social psychology which seek to demonstrate the applicability of social psychological theory to the real world.

Religious Fundamentalism and Social Identity

Religious Fundamentalism and Social Identity PDF Author: Peter Herriot
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317724100
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 145

Get Book Here

Book Description
The attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in the United States of September 11th, 2001 brought the phenomenon of religious fundamentalism to the world's attention.Sociological research has clearly demonstrated that fundamentalists are primarily reacting against modernity, and believe that they are fighting for the very survival of their faith against the secular enemy. But we understand very little about how and why people join fundamentalist movements and embrace a set of beliefs, values and norms of behaviour which are counter-cultural. This is essentially a question for social psychology, since it involves both social relations and individual selves. Drawing on a broad theoretical perspective, social identity theory, Peter Herriot addresses two key questions: why do fundamentalists identify themselves as an in-group fighting against various out-groups? And how do the psychological needs for self-esteem and meaning motivate them? Case studies of Mohammed Atta, the leader of the 9/11 hijackers, and of the current controversy in the Anglican Church about gay priests and bishops, demonstrate how fruitfully this theory can be applied to fundamentalist conflicts. It also offers psychologically sensible ways of managing such conflicts, rather than treating fundamentalists as an enemy to be defeated. Religious Fundamentalism and Social Identity is unique in applying social identity theory to fundamentalism, and rare in that it provides psychological (in addition to sociological) analyses of the phenomenon. It is a valuable resource for courses in social psychology which seek to demonstrate the applicability of social psychological theory to the real world.

Religious Fundamentalism

Religious Fundamentalism PDF Author: Peter Herriot
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134101600
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 332

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Book Description
How does a religious fundamentalist come to embrace a counter-cultural world view? 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. Religious Fundamentalism 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. 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.

Leaving Christian Fundamentalism and the Reconstruction of Identity

Leaving Christian Fundamentalism and the Reconstruction of Identity PDF Author: Josie McSkimming
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317106563
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 271

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Book Description
There is an increasing interest in the influence of religious fundamentalism upon people’s motivation, identity and decision-making. Leaving Christian Fundamentalism and the Re-construction of Identity details the stories of those who have left Christian fundamentalist churches and how they change after they have left. It considers how the previous fundamentalist identity is shaped by aspects of church teaching and discipline that are less authoritarian and coercive, and more subtle and widely spread throughout the church body. That is, individuals are understood as not only subject to a form of judgment, but also exercise it, with everyone seemingly complicit in maintaining the stability of the church organisation. This book provocatively illustrates that the reasons for leaving an evangelical Christian church may be less about what happens outside the church in terms of the lures and attractions of the secular world, and more about the experience within the community itself.

Populism, Fundamentalism, and Identity

Populism, Fundamentalism, and Identity PDF Author: Peter Herriot
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 9783030425111
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 157

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Book Description
What can populism and fundamentalism possibly have in common? Peter Herriot argues that contrary to their apparent differences, these human phenomena are similar in two basic respects. First, they are both reactions against the complexities of the modern world in general, and its current crisis in particular. They propose instead a return to a mythical golden age, supposedly marked by purity and simplicity. Second, they both work in the same way psychologically. Using social identity theory, Herriot shows how both populism and fundamentalism create constant conflict by contrasting a virtuous ‘Us’ with a stereotypically evil ‘Them’. Contemporary case studies illustrate this process at work, and Herriot raises various issues as a basis for discussion, and concludes with hope.

Religion, Identity and Change

Religion, Identity and Change PDF Author: Simon Coleman
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351904876
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
Religion is of enduring importance in the lives of many people, yet the religious landscape has been dramatically transformed in recent decades. Established churches have been challenged by eastern faiths, revivals of Christian and Islamic fundamentalism, and the eclectic spiritualities of the New Age. Religion has long been regarded by social scientists and psychologists as a key source of identity formation, ranging from personal conversion experiences to collective association with fellow believers. This book addresses the need for a reassessment of issues relating to identity in the light of current transformations in society as a whole and religion in particular. Drawing together case-studies from many different expressions of faith and belief - Hindu, Muslim, Roman Catholic, Anglican, New Age - leading scholars ask how contemporary religions or spiritualities respond to the challenge of forming individual and collective identities in a nation context marked by secularisation and postmodern decentring of culture, as well as religious revitalisation. The book focuses on Britain as a context for religious change, but asks important questions that are of universal significance for those studying religion: How is personal and collective identity constructed in a world of multiple social and cultural influences? What role can religion play in creating, reinforcing or even transforming such identity?

The Religious Roots of the Syrian Conflict

The Religious Roots of the Syrian Conflict PDF Author: Mark Tomass
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137525711
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 285

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Book Description
Explores the historical origins of Syria's religious sects and their dominance of the Syrian social scene. It identifies their distinct beliefs and relates how the actions of the religious authorities and political entrepreneurs acting on behalf of their sects expose them to sectarian violence, culminating in the dissolution of the nation-state.

Religious Fundamentalism in the Contemporary World

Religious Fundamentalism in the Contemporary World PDF Author: Santosh C. Saha
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 9780739107607
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 356

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Book Description
Conntributors to this volume tackle the question of how to define the contours of current religious fundamentalism, examining the private & public postures of fundamentalist rhetoric, the importance of its regional variants, & the damage it can do to regional & national educaton systems.

Understanding Religious Fundamentalists

Understanding Religious Fundamentalists PDF Author: Peter Herriot
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040026559
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 122

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Book Description
This book introduces the prominent role that fundamentalists play in religious, cultural, and political arenas. It begins by investigating religious fundamentalist groups and their psychological motivations for this counter-cultural adherence. Their extremely varied actions, argues the author, are based on two fundamental beliefs: that God speaks to them personally through his Word; and that they are involved in a cosmic war between God and Satan.. Subsequent chapters explore how fundamentalisms meet universal psychological needs for meaning, identity, agency, and self-esteem. Moving from individual psychology to social context, the latter half of the book explores how fundamentalist movements derive and exercise their authority and how leaders may strategise to appeal to external societies. The closing chapters seek to place the growth of fundamentalisms and their continued popularity in the social context of modernity and populism. With engaging discussion questions and suggestions for further reading, this book is ideal for students of social science and religion, as well as readers interested in the psychological roots of fundamentalism.

Conjectures and Controversy in the Study of Fundamentalism

Conjectures and Controversy in the Study of Fundamentalism PDF Author: W. Paul Williamson
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004438181
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 100

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Book Description
In Conjectures and Controversy in the Study of Fundamentalism, W. Paul Williamson takes a critical look at the sociohistorical emergence of fundamentalism and examines how historians constructed popular, though questionable, conceptions of the movement that have dominated decades of empirical research in psychology. He further analyzes the notions of militancy and anti-modernity as valid characterizations of fundamentalism and examines whether fundamentalism, as a Christian Protestant phenomenon, is useful in labelling global forms of religious extremism and violence. In observing the lack of theory-driven research, the publication offers theories that situate fundamentalism as a social psychological phenomenon as opposed to some personal predisposition. Students and scholars of fundamentalism will discover Conjectures and Controversy in the Study of Fundamentalism to be a provocative study on the topic.

Accounting for Fundamentalisms

Accounting for Fundamentalisms PDF Author: Martin E. Marty
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226508862
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 863

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Book Description
Accounting for Fundamentalisms features treatments of fundamentalist movements, groups that often make headlines but are rarely understood, as part of the multivolume Fundamentalism Project. This book remains a standard reference source for comprehending the dynamics of fundamentalist movements around the world. Surveying fundamentalist movements in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism, the contributors to Accounting for Fundamentalisms describe the organization of these movements, their leadership and recruiting techniques, and the ways in which their ideological programs and organizational structures shift over time in response to changing political and social environments.