Fundamentalism, Exclusivism and Religious Extremism Problems for interfaith relations Douglas Pratt New Zealand Associate UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations Asia – Pacific

Fundamentalism – Christian Origins America – early 20 th C America – early 20 th C “The Fundamentals” of faith “The Fundamentals” of faith ‘Fundamentalism’ as positive identity ‘Fundamentalism’ as positive identity Negative shift: oppositional, closed Negative shift: oppositional, closed

Fundamentalism – An Academic Investigation Fundamentalism Project Fundamentalism Project ‘Golden Age’ focus ‘Golden Age’ focus Deeply rooted phenomenon Deeply rooted phenomenon Gives rise to political actions Gives rise to political actions Reactionary: fear of relativism, pluralism Reactionary: fear of relativism, pluralism Intention to ‘make a difference’ Intention to ‘make a difference’ Narrow beliefs & limited metaphysics Narrow beliefs & limited metaphysics

Religion & Fundamentalism Religion & Fundamentalism History and identity of fundamentalism complex Elements include: * moral panic * a crisis mood: [Christian / Muslim] civilisation is at risk * popular movement * interprets current issues in simplified / distorted ways

Religion & Fundamentalism Religion & Fundamentalism A long association of terrorism and religion includes * paradigms of sacrificial offering * death / killing as an ennobling frame of reference * higher dictate/command obviates culpability * current issues interpreted in simplified & distorted ways

Religious Fundamentalism: A Paradigm Analysis Three Phases Passive – normative Assertive – hard-line Impositional – activist Ten Features * by Phase Twenty Factors * 2 per Feature

What does ‘extremism’ mean? At the margins – edges – extremities At the margins – edges – extremities –tenuous link to centre –loose connection to normative tradition –expresses heterodoxy against orthodoxy A matter of intensity – focus – fanaticism A matter of intensity – focus – fanaticism –claims central position exclusively –proclaims normative tradition intensely –takes tradition to extreme –expresses ultra-orthodoxy against orthodoxy

Religious Extremism: A Five Feature Profile Inclusive contextual scope Condemnatory stance Negative value application Explicit action justification Enacted extremism / violence

Fundamentalism and Islamic Extremism ‘Frustrated Fundamentalism’ ‘Frustrated Fundamentalism’ –Aggressive politicisation of religion Islamism: Extremist Ideologies Islamism: Extremist Ideologies –Reject plurality & pluralism Ideology of disruption & disorder Ideology of disruption & disorder –Shift in ideological focus and goal Rise of Islamist Extremism Rise of Islamist Extremism –Jihad as revolution –Jihad as social salvation

What about Christian extremism? Contemporary manifestations Contemporary manifestations –resurgent fundamentalism –increasing exclusivity/exclusivism –increasing hostility toward ‘other’

Exclusive / Exclusivity: Exclusivity of identity can lead to exclusivism Exclusivity of identity can lead to exclusivism Thus exclusivity becomes exclusionary Thus exclusivity becomes exclusionary –militates against dialogical rapport –hallmark of extreme fundamentalism

Contemporary critical issue: Religious Exclusivism Exclusivity – part of fundamentalism Exclusivity – part of fundamentalism Exclusivism – expresses fundamentalist ideology Exclusivism – expresses fundamentalist ideology Can there be an exclusive (unique) religion, exclusive (unique) identity, without exclusivist extremism (reactionary/rejectionist)? Can there be an exclusive (unique) religion, exclusive (unique) identity, without exclusivist extremism (reactionary/rejectionist)?

Distinctive contemporary challenge: To clarify – the exclusivity that properly adheres to religious identity (uniqueness) as something distinct from the exclusion of religious exclusivism that is inimical of any validation of the ‘other’

A Paradox – Religious exclusivism plays into the hand of religious extremism Religious exclusivism plays into the hand of religious extremism –Thus the problem for interfaith relations Yet an ‘exclusive’ religious identity allows for the integrity of difference and otherness Yet an ‘exclusive’ religious identity allows for the integrity of difference and otherness –Thus the possibility of interfaith relations

Conclusion The affirmation of a particular, and so exclusive, religious identity does not necessarily entail a denial of otherness. The affirmation of a particular, and so exclusive, religious identity does not necessarily entail a denial of otherness. Religious exclusivity is not the same as religious exclusivism: Religious exclusivity is not the same as religious exclusivism: –the one refers to identity uniqueness –the other to an excluding attitude and ideology