The Fundamentalism Project

The Fundamentalism Project, a series of volumes edited by Martin E. Marty and R. Scott Appleby, views fundamentalism as a militant rejection of secular modernity. It is described as an inherently political and potentially totalitarian phenomenon, seeking to reshape society and government based on religious principles.1

However, the project has faced criticism. Some argue that movements labeled as fundamentalist are often driven by social, ethnic, or nationalistic grievances rather than a direct rejection of modernity. Another critique suggests that applying the term "fundamentalism," which originated in American Protestantism, to non-Western religions is a form of "conceptual imperialism". Additionally, the term itself carries negative connotations like bigotry and fanaticism, which some scholars find unsuitable for objective analysis, while others argue these connotations accurately reflect the nature of some fundamentalist movements that may violate human rights.1