Fundamentalism, Exclusivism Fundamentalism, Exclusivism and Religious Extremismand Religious Extremism

Problems for interfaith relations

Douglas PrattNew Zealand Associate

UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural RelationsAsia – Pacific

Fundamentalism –Fundamentalism – Christian OriginsChristian Origins

America – early 20America – early 20ththCC

““The FundamentalsThe Fundamentals” of faith” of faith

‘‘Fundamentalism’ as positive identityFundamentalism’ as positive identity

Negative shift: oppositional, closedNegative shift: oppositional, closed

Fundamentalism – Fundamentalism – An Academic An Academic

InvestigationInvestigation

Fundamentalism ProjectFundamentalism Project ‘‘Golden Age’ focusGolden Age’ focus

Deeply rooted phenomenonDeeply rooted phenomenon

Gives rise to political actionsGives rise to political actions

Reactionary: fear of relativism, pluralismReactionary: fear of relativism, pluralism

Intention to ‘make a difference’Intention to ‘make a difference’

Narrow beliefs & limited metaphysicsNarrow beliefs & limited metaphysics

Religion & Religion & Fundamentalism Fundamentalism History and identity of fundamentalism complex

Elements include: Elements include:

* * moral panic moral panic

* a crisis mood: [Christian / Muslim] civilisation is at risk* a crisis mood: [Christian / Muslim] civilisation is at risk

* popular movement * popular movement

* interprets current issues in simplified / distorted ways * interprets current issues in simplified / distorted ways

Religion & Religion & Fundamentalism Fundamentalism

A long association of terrorism and religionA long association of terrorism and religion

includesincludes

** paradigms of sacrificial offeringparadigms of sacrificial offering

* death / killing as an ennobling frame of reference* death / killing as an ennobling frame of reference

** higher dictate/command obviates culpabilityhigher dictate/command obviates culpability

* current issues interpreted in simplified & distorted ways* current issues interpreted in simplified & distorted ways

Religious Religious Fundamentalism:Fundamentalism: A Paradigm AnalysisA Paradigm Analysis

Three Phases Three Phases Passive – Passive – normativenormative

Assertive – Assertive – hard-linehard-line

Impositional – Impositional – activistactivist

Ten Features Ten Features * 3-4-3 by Phase* 3-4-3 by Phase

Twenty Factors Twenty Factors * 2 per Feature* 2 per Feature

What does ‘extremism’ What does ‘extremism’ mean?mean?

At the margins – edges – extremitiesAt the margins – edges – extremities– tenuous link to centretenuous link to centre– loose connection to normative traditionloose connection to normative tradition– expresses heterodoxy against orthodoxyexpresses heterodoxy against orthodoxy

A matter of intensity – focus – fanaticismA matter of intensity – focus – fanaticism– claims central position exclusivelyclaims central position exclusively– proclaims normative tradition intenselyproclaims normative tradition intensely– takes tradition to extremetakes tradition to extreme– expresses ultra-orthodoxy against orthodoxyexpresses ultra-orthodoxy against orthodoxy

Religious Extremism:Religious Extremism: A Five Feature ProfileA Five Feature Profile

Inclusive contextual scopeInclusive contextual scope

Condemnatory stanceCondemnatory stance

Negative value applicationNegative value application

Explicit action justificationExplicit action justification

Enacted extremism / violenceEnacted extremism / violence

Fundamentalism and Fundamentalism and Islamic Extremism Islamic Extremism ‘‘Frustrated Fundamentalism’Frustrated Fundamentalism’

– Aggressive politicisation of religionAggressive politicisation of religion

Islamism: Extremist IdeologiesIslamism: Extremist Ideologies– Reject plurality & pluralismReject plurality & pluralism

Ideology of disruption & disorderIdeology of disruption & disorder– Shift in ideological focus and goalShift in ideological focus and goal

Rise of Islamist ExtremismRise of Islamist Extremism– Jihad as revolution Jihad as revolution – Jihad as social salvationJihad as social salvation

What aboutWhat aboutChristian extremismChristian extremism??

Contemporary manifestationsContemporary manifestations

– resurgent fundamentalismresurgent fundamentalism

– increasing exclusivity/exclusivismincreasing exclusivity/exclusivism

– increasing hostility toward ‘other’increasing hostility toward ‘other’

Exclusive / Exclusivity:Exclusive / Exclusivity:

Exclusivity of identity can lead to Exclusivity of identity can lead to exclusivism exclusivism

Thus exclusivity becomes Thus exclusivity becomes exclusionaryexclusionary

– militates against dialogical rapportmilitates against dialogical rapport

– hallmark of extreme fundamentalismhallmark of extreme fundamentalism

Contemporary critical Contemporary critical issue: issue: Religious ExclusivismReligious Exclusivism

Exclusivity – part of fundamentalism Exclusivity – part of fundamentalism

Exclusivism – expresses fundamentalist Exclusivism – expresses fundamentalist ideologyideology

Can there be an exclusive (unique) religion, Can there be an exclusive (unique) religion, exclusive (unique) identity, without exclusive (unique) identity, without exclusivist extremism exclusivist extremism (reactionary/rejectionist)?(reactionary/rejectionist)?

Distinctive contemporary Distinctive contemporary challenge: challenge:

To clarifyTo clarify – –

the exclusivity that properly adheres to the exclusivity that properly adheres to religious identity (uniqueness)religious identity (uniqueness)

as something distinct fromas something distinct from

the exclusion of religious exclusivism the exclusion of religious exclusivism that is inimical of any validation of the that is inimical of any validation of the ‘other’‘other’

A Paradox – A Paradox –

Religious exclusivism plays into the hand of Religious exclusivism plays into the hand of religious extremismreligious extremism

– Thus the problem for interfaith relationsThus the problem for interfaith relations

Yet an ‘exclusive’ religious identity allows Yet an ‘exclusive’ religious identity allows for the integrity of difference and othernessfor the integrity of difference and otherness

– Thus the possibility of interfaith relations Thus the possibility of interfaith relations

ConclusionConclusion

The affirmation of a particular, and so The affirmation of a particular, and so exclusive, religious identity does not exclusive, religious identity does not necessarily entail a denial of otherness.necessarily entail a denial of otherness.

Religious exclusivity is not the same as Religious exclusivity is not the same as religious exclusivism: religious exclusivism:

– the one refers to identity uniquenessthe one refers to identity uniqueness

– the other to an excluding attitude and ideology the other to an excluding attitude and ideology