Religious Fundamentalism | Beliefs in Society | A-Level Sociology

welcome to this tutor to you sociology topic video looking at beliefs in society focusing on religious fundamentalism well many sociologists have argued that there has been an increase in secularization since the birth of the modern age others argue that a society has progressed towards a post-modern age and with increased globalization in society

there's been an increase in religious fundamentalism but what do we mean by religious fundamentalism allman defined fundamentalism as a pattern of religious militancy a form of religion especially islam or protestant christianity that upholds belief in the strict literal interpretation of scripture and demands adherence to these interpretations from followers fundamentalism is direct opposition to

the idea of secularization and it's often simplified into a conflict approach between believers and non-believers who are seen as the other a term often used to describe people on the outside of a group or faction now there are a number of features of fundamentalist worship and these are common to both christian and islamic

fundamentalism there is the presence of a sacred text the bible or the quran from which literal translations are applied to govern the behavior of followers there is a division between true believers and the other a very divisive mentality pitting followers against non-believers there is also the presence of authoritative personalities in leadership and there is often patriarchal control

in some of these groups for example the taliban and the new christian right many sociologists have attempted to discuss the reasons for the growth of fundamentalism grace davey argues that the threat of modernity to traditional values leads to increased fundamentalism like gideon's she argues that fundamentalism offers certainty and security against chaos of social change