fundamentalism

American  

[fuhn-duh-men-tl-iz-uhm] / ˌfʌn dəˈmɛn tlˌɪz əm /

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a religious movement characterized by a strict belief in the literal interpretation of religious texts, especially within American Protestantism and Islam.

2. the beliefs held by those in this movement.

3. strict adherence to any set of basic ideas or principles.

   the fundamentalism of the extreme conservatives.

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fundamentalism British  

/ ˌfʌndəˈmɛntəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. Christianity (esp among certain Protestant sects) the belief that every word of the Bible is divinely inspired and therefore true

2. Islam a movement favouring strict observance of the teachings of the Koran and Islamic law

3. strict adherence to the fundamental principles of any set of beliefs

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fundamentalism Cultural  

1. A conservative movement in theology among nineteenth- and twentieth-century Christians (see also Christian). Fundamentalists believe that the statements in the Bible (see also Bible) are literally true.

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Discover More

Fundamentalists often argue against the theory of evolution. (See Scopes trial.)

Other Word Forms

• antifundamentalism
  noun
• antifundamentalist
  noun
• fundamentalist
  noun
• fundamentalistic
  adjective
• nonfundamentalist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of fundamentalism

1920–25, fundamental + -ism; originally in reference to the American Protestant fundamentalism movement, which arose in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in reaction to modernism

Explanation

Fundamentalism is a strict interpretation of the scripture, like Protestant Christians who believe that all the miracles in the Bible really happened. Islamic fundamentalism is the same, except people believe everything in the Koran actually happened. The word fundamentalism was originally associated with a Protestant movement of the early 1920s, which protested the treatment of the supernatural miracles and events of the Bible as anything but literally true. Fundamentalism was created in direct opposition to modernism, a movement that sought to reinterpret the events of the Bible based on modern times. Nowadays, fundamentalism usually refers to religion, but it can also be a strict and literal belief in anything.

Example Sentences

"Fundamentalism is really good at taking what we love in our hearts and using it to exploit us," Levings said.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2024

Pearson also authored books, including “The Gospel of Inclusion: Reaching Beyond Religious Fundamentalism to the True Love of God” and was in the documentary film American Heretics: The Politics of the Gospel.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 20, 2023

“I’m sympathetic to that,” says Sharlet, whose previous book was “The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2023

Ahmed Rashid is a board member of the Committee to Protect Journalists and the author of, among other books, “Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia.”

From New York Times • Aug. 11, 2021

At first, as a child, there was Judaism, of which he never really felt a part; then Fundamentalism, until he became disillusioned with the leaders of the Worldwide Church of God.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady