ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with religious fundamentalist groups which are partly reactive to the changes. These groups are far from being pre-modern in their nature as they are specific reactions to some of today's social and cultural changes. The chapter gives some sociological explanation with regard to the appearance and growth of fundamentalism. Fundamentalism offers a solution to the burden by providing hope and confidence in an anxious world by re-packaging pre-modern modes of conduct and beliefs in a format conducive to contemporary inspirations. Fundamentalism is a phenomenon of today supporting the rationalising, reforms and technological development of postmodernity, while at the same time providing an island of security in the choice-overloaded consumer society. Tamney equates fundamentalism to traditionalist religion. The main type of religious fundamentalism is Christian Literalism, which is a subspecies of the Evangelical movement. These contemporary Christian fundamentalist groups are combating modernist' theology and secularist cultural trends. Impositional Fundamentalism, can commit extreme actions such as violent behaviours.
