Religious Fundamentalism

Marcovitz focuses this study of the social and political effects of fundamentalism on Christianity in America and Islam in other countries, although fundamentalist Hinduism, Judaism, and Buddhism also receive mention. The strength of this series is its statistics-heavy format: each chapter has a section on primary-source quotes and useful bar and pie graphs showing demographic information. Chapters in this title cover the extent of religious fundamentalism in different communities, its influence on individual rights, its impact on violence and terrorism, and the question of how governments ought to respond to it. End matter includes a spotty time line of the history of fundamentalism beginning with the birth of Islam through the attacks in Mumbai in 2008.

Part of the Compact Research: Current Issues series, this book on religious fundamentalism is timely and informative but has some organizational and definition problems that may limit its use. For instance, fundamentalism initially is defined in terms of a belief in scripture, ignoring practices and actions. Each religion has its own fundamentalists (which the text rightly points out in numerous spots), but throughout, the book jumps from one group to another so that readers move rather too rapidly from Hasidic Jews to Sikhs to the “New Atheists.” Moreover, the chapters of primary source quotes are offered without much context. Despite these problems, students who have only a vague idea of the term fundamentalism will get up to speed as Marcovitz explores such topics as how governments should respond to religious fundamentalism and whether it fuels violence and terror. The book mentions some positive aspects of fundamentalism and has some pro-religion quotes. Illustrated primarily with charts and graphs.

Gr 9 Up–Marcovitz focuses this study of the social and political effects of fundamentalism on Christianity in America and Islam in other countries, although fundamentalist Hinduism, Judaism, and Buddhism also receive mention. The strength of this series is its statistics-heavy format: each chapter has a section on primary-source quotes and useful bar and pie graphs showing demographic information. Chapters in this title cover the extent of religious fundamentalism in different communities, its influence on individual rights, its impact on violence and terrorism, and the question of how governments ought to respond to it. End matter includes a spotty time line of the history of fundamentalism beginning with the birth of Islam through the attacks in Mumbai in 2008.–Rebecca Donnelly, Loma Colorado Public Library, Rio Rancho, NM