The Freedom to Do God's Will : Religious Fundamentalism and Social Change

Under the auspices of top international commentators, The Freedom to do God's Will considers the global impact of fundamentalism on religious traditions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Mormonism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam. With special reference to human rights issues, women's rights and the influence of social factors, it brings a new dimension to a field of study often dominated by purely religious or political perspectives, whilst challenging received ideas about the violence and conservatism of fundamentalist movements. Illustrated with original case studies, the ten investigative essays from a multicultural panel of experts, each with specific local and academic knowledge of the faiths and issues they discuss, offer an intimate and highly specific portrait of why and how fundamentalism occurs. In the wake of September 11th 2001, it is disturbingly clear that we cannot afford to ignore religious fundamentalism. Religious faith in the modern world is a political statement, from the hot spots of Al Qaeda's Afghanistan to the religious tensions and explosive violence igniting the streets of Israel, Palestine, India and even the urban centres of the USA and Europe. But are all faiths equally susceptible to fundamentalism? How can we recognize it, and is it always by its nature harmful or wrong? The Freedom To Do God's Will considers the global impact of fundamentalism on religious traditions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Mormonism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam. With special reference to human rights issues and women's rights, it brings a new dimension to a field of study often dominated by purely religious or political perspectives, whilst effectively challenging received ideas about the violence and conservatism of fundamentalist movements. Ten investigative essays from a multicultural panel offer an intimate and highly specific portrait of why and how fundamentalism occurs. Giving essential practical guidance for professionals working in human rights and related areas, The Freedom To Do God's Will provides a comprehensive, sensitive and topical overview of fundamentalism's many faces, and of our collective roles in understanding and responding to it. "Under the auspices of top international commentators, The Freedom To Do God's Will considers the global impact of fundamentalism on religious traditions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Mormonism, Christianity, Judasim and Islam. With special reference to human rights issues, women's rights and the influence of social factors, it brings a new dimension to a field of study often dominated by purely religious or political perspectives, while effectively challenging received ideas about the violence and conservatism of fundamentalist movements. Revealingly illustrated with original case studies, 10 investigative essays from a multicultural panel of experts, each with specific local and academic knowledge of the faiths and issues they discuss, offer an intimate and highly specific portrait of why and how fundamentalism occurs."--Publisher description "In the wake of the events of September 11th 2001, it is disturbingly clear that no government or individual can afford to ignore religious fundamentalism. Religious faith in the modern world is a political statement, from the hot spots of Al Quaeda's Afghanistan to the simmering religious tensions and explosive violence igniting the streets of Israel, Palestine, India and even the urban melting-pots of the US and Europe. But how does fundamentalism function across cultural and social boundaries? Are all faiths equally susceptible to it? How can we recognize fundamentalism, and is it always by its nature harmful or wrong?