1. Overcoming Religious
Fundamentalism
Presented by Rev Joshva Raja at
the SCMI meeting Jamshedpur
2005 May.
Saha Navavathu Saha Navbunakthu
Sahaviryam Karavavahai May He (God) protect us both together
Thejasvi Navadhithamasthu May He nourish us both together
Ma vidvishavahai May we both work together with great
energy
Upanisad prayer May our study be vigorous and effective
May we not hate each other

2. What is fundamentalism?
• It refers to all religious movements that seek to
return to „fundamentals of their faith‟. (Hippler
and Lueg:1995)
• “the affirmation of religious authority as holistic
and absolute, admitting neither criticism nor
reduction…” (Lawrence:1989)
• It is “a proclamation of reclaimed authority over
a sacred tradition which is to be reinstated as
an antidote for a society…” (Hadden and
Shupe: 1989).

3. Fundamentalism contd…
Fundamentalism is understood as the strict
maintenance of traditional orthodox religious
beliefs or doctrines especially belief in the
inerrancy of scripture and literal acceptance
of the creeds as fundamentals of one‟s own
religion (The New Shorter Oxford Dictionary).
Fundamentalism in simple words can be
explained as an act of return to the
fundamentals of a particular religion or a text
which people believe to be literally true.

4. Different Kinds of
Fundamentalisms
Religious Political
National
Theological
Cultural Economic
Racial
Caste Tribal
Linguistic
Hadden:1992
Liberal

5. What makes a sect - fundamentalist
group?
 Fixed Narratives of Faith – Fixing God within this
narratives and thus play God for their ends-absolutism
and inerrancy of their revelation - selective of their
tradition – defend it at all costs – feel threatened by
erosion of religious values.
 Strictly dualistic – Myth of the other - members are
chosen in light –outsiders are under darkness – and so
the other is evil and is the enemy of God and are
threat to their faith, culture and so on – propagating
the negative information of the other and thus
ignorance about the ‘other’.

6.  Outsiders though they follow another religions
they are ‘infidals’, ‘Pagans’, ‘Heathens’, ‘jihadis’
or ‘Western’ and thus seen as monolithic
group (Homogenous) – a fear of other is
created
 Myth of the Golden age or ideal world filled
with their members only – Ram Raj; Umma;
Kingdom of God/New Creation – thus often
support/join with right wing politicians to
establish it.

7. Fundamentalism, Orthodoxy,
Charismatic groups are not the same!
 Is it wrong to hold on to one’s own beliefs? –
fundamentals of belief – If it leads us to the
extend of seeing the other as evil and thus
trying to eliminate the other, then the
fundamentalism is wrong. (Asghar Ali Engineer –
Orthodoxy is not fundamentalism).
 No Religion is a fundamentalist religion but
every religion has a few characteristics of
fundamentalism.
 Revival groups, Reform movements are not
fundamentalists unless they are extremely
exclusive.

8. Strategies of Popularizing
Fundamentalism among
the public
Rumors
MediaEducation
History
Politics
Diplomacy

11. Media and Mythical statements
 ‘Christianity is a slow poison which is the cause
of peace and family felling among the tribals.
Christian missionaries have made use of
Government resources for the purposes of
conversions’. – Sandesh Newspaper
 missionaries do forceful conversion in Gujarat -
Gujarat Samachar (a daily newspaper), Nav
Gujarat (a daily),

12. „minorities have to earn majority's goodwill‟
“70 HINDUS ARE BURNT ALIVE” as Headlines.
“AVENGE BLOOD WITH BLOOD” This is a quote from a
statement issued by a VHP leader
THE ROLE OF NEWSPAPERS DURING THE GUJARAT
CARNAGE
HINDUS BEWARE: HAJ PILGRIMS RETURN WITH A
DEADLY CONSPIRACY
Boycott of Muslims
India will be a Hindu rashtra in two years…

13. Impact of Fundamentalism on US
 Mass Ignorance – Culture of Suspicion –
Mass Phobia - Mis Understanding
 Relationship breaks down – No contacts –
Culture of confrontation spreads
 Any Flash news becomes a clash news –
Burning of Ko’ran leaves 100 dead – Jo
Bole So Nihaal- Culture of Violence
spreads.

14. Attacks on the churches in Gujarat
after these reports

15. Pre and Post Godhra
Impact

16. How to overcome Religious
Fundamentalism?
 Addressing the question of Self
 Unity with humankind – Sharing the resources
 Narratives and Unity – Removing Ignorance
 Communicating towards a Culture of Dialogue –
Respecting Human Dignity of the ‘other’
 Establishing Dialogue groups at grassroots
 Alternative media and Culture of Peace
 Our Mission towards Culture of Coexistence

17. Your Commitment today
 To set up Small groups/clubs/network
from different religions and from
different castes to establish contact,
listen, talk, understand and learn about
each other!!!!
 To use small media to promote stories
of inter-religious and inter-cultural
relationship – to further understanding
between different communities!!!

18. Commitment contd…
 Writing a joint letter to the president
asking him to build a hospital in the place
of temple-mosque and make a statement
that we younger generation want to
establish a culture of dialogue and a culture
of peace in the place where we live in
 Media Awareness- writing to media –
organizing literacy programmes…