ABSTRACT
Fundamentalist beliefs incorporate binary distinctions: God and Satan, believer and unbeliever, godly and worldly, pure and defiled, etc. The first terms are valued highly, the second feared and hated – and so are the categories of person to whom they refer. Believers identify with the first category and stereotype and oppose the second. Conflict is thus built into their narrative. All fundamentalisms share the same basic narrative: an original golden age was corrupted by the enemy so that only a faithful few remain. They have to fight back now, however, since the survival of the faith is at stake. Obedient conformity is vital, as exemplified by the Brethren and the Haredim.
