ABSTRACT
The re-enchantment of the middle classes not only highlights the power of the sign, but also the renewal of the symbolic power of the holy word.1 The word of God as represented by scriptural texts has found new life in the phenomenon of fundamentalism. Fundamentalism is generally identified as a type of religious resurgence that is antagonistic to modernity, usually producing actions based on literal interpretations of the holy word for the fervent pursuit of salvationary goals. For example, Giddens defines fundamentalism as:
If we take the defence of doctrinal purity as the basic component of fundamentalism, then fundamentalism is nothing more than a struggle to maintain the right to express symbolic, rather than dialogic, truth. This struggle reflects a deep contradiction in the bourgeois ideology of the twentieth century. This is an ideology of openness and inclusiveness, or one that celebrates infinite potential as an expression of individual strength under the expansion of reason. Whereas this strength is derived from a naive desire for limitless creativity and choice, it is unable to gauge and embrace the multiple moral consequences of such desire. Within the limits of this ideology, fundamentalism comes to be seen as an obstinate defence of traditional ways, even though it is actually about the choice to defend traditional ways. Agency plays as much a role in fundamentalism as in other religious affiliations and actions, but it is not readily considered intrinsic to fundamentalism because of the widely received idea that fundamentalism is driven by the forces of tradition. Thus, fundamentalist religions are nothing more than ‘traditional’ religions competing with other religions in an expanding arena of religious worldviews and practices.
