About 40 years ago popular opinion assumed that religion would become aweaker force and people would certainly become less zealous as the
world became more modern and morals more relaxed. But the opposite has
proven true, according to theologian and author Karen Armstrong, who
documents how fundamentalism has taken root and grown in many of the
world's major religions, such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Even
Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism have developed
fundamentalist factions. Reacting to a technologically driven world
with liberal Western values, fundamentalists have not only increased in
numbers, they have become more desperate, claims Armstrong, who points
to the Oklahoma City bombing, violent anti-abortion crusades, and the
assassination of President Yitzak Rabin as evidence of dangerous
extremes.
Yet she also acknowledges the irony of how fundamentalism and Western
materialism seem to urge each other on to greater excesses. To
"prevent an escalation of the conflict, we must try and understand the
pain and perception of the other side," she pleads. With her gift for
clear, engaging writing and her integrity as a thorough researcher,
Armstrong delivers a powerful discussion of a globally heated issue.
Part history lesson, part wake-up call, and mostly a plea for healing,
Armstrong's writing continues to offer a religious mirror and a
cultural vision.
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