Fundamentalism The Search For Meaning

Malise Ruthven, writing with engaging clarity and directness, offers the first book to expose the nature of religious fundamentalism worldwide, and to explore its many forms. Tracing the development of this phenomenon, he examines its historical, social, religious, political, and ideological backgrounds. While questioning its usefulness as a term, Malise Ruthven argues persuasively that there are significant 'family resemblances' between different fundamentalist movements on issues such as the literal interpretation of scripture, violence, gender, and group identities.

Malise Ruthven is the author of A Fury for God: The Islamist Attack on America, A Satanic Affair: Salman Rushdie and the Wrath of Islam, and Islam in the World.