The Fundamentals of Extremism: The Christian Right in America [Paperback]

Kimberly Blaker (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2003

The politics, educational policies, and social values perpetuated by Christian fundamentalists are exposed in this critical perspective on the religious right's role in American society. Statistics and studies of the movement are offered that provide insight into the causes and characteristics of fundamentalism and its effects on minority groups including women, children, African Americans, gays, and lesbians. Essays from a variety of authors consider the path to theocracy, the effect of the theology of inerrancy on politics, and the state of fundamentalism in the United States after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I have just read this brilliant book . . . almost without a break, and I am stunned and horrified . . . ." -- Richard Dawkins, Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University, author of Unweaving the Rainbow

"In other words, this book is a "must read" volume." -- Gerald A. Larue, Emeritus Professor and Religion Adjunct Professor at University of Southern California, author of Playing God: Deciding Your Life and Death

"a blockbuster exposé of the activities of the Religious Right. . . . This is . . . a thorough analysis of a present crisis." -- John Shelby Spong, best-selling author of Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism

"an especially important book for all who care about the rights and well-being of women and children." -- Nadine Strossen, President of American Civil Liberties Union, Professor of Law, New York Law School

"the most careful and devastating evaluation of the impact of fundamentalism . . . ever produced in the United States. . . ." -- John M. Swomley, Emeritus Professor of Social Ethics, Saint Paul School of Theology, author of Liberation Ethics

This book is an encyclopedic indictment of the extreme Christian right, but . . . can be applied to any extremist belief system. -- Cultic Studies Review, Frank MacHovec

This book's authority hinges on meticulous documentation of a slow but tangible national shift... to an unabashedly apostolic theocracy. -- San Antonio Current, Review by Anjali Gupta

[The Fundamentals] is filled with astonishing citations that demonstrate the virulence of the Christian fundamentalists and... their agenda. -- Swans, Review by Gilles d'Aymery --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

On September 11, 2001, Americans witnessed horrific carnage inspired by religious extremism. We saw that religious fundamentalists will stop at nothing to reign terror on those they regard as their enemies. In our response, we began to focus on the oppressive treatment of women and children in other parts of the world where religious fundamentalism rules.

Yet, even now, most Americans fail to realize the magnitude of problems posed by our own country’s Christian fundamentalism and Religious Right. We regard such dogmatism as odd but non-threatening. We reason, "Why should we be concerned, so long as it doesn’t affect us?"

But the problem does affect all of us. It affects those women and children in fundamentalist Christian homes who suffer severe emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. It affects minorities, particularly African-Americans, and gays and lesbians.

Equally disconcerting, the problem affects adherents of non-fundamentalist faiths and those with no religious beliefs who are prime targets of fundamentalists’ prejudicial attitudes. To the Christian Right in America, even mainstream Christians whose tenets differ from those of conservative Christianity are violators of the will of God and must reform. American Christian fundamentalists are working to change laws of our land and thus force all Americans to conform to strict religious ideologies.

Kimberly Blaker’s The Fundamentals of Extremism: The Christian Right in America is not just another book on the Religious Right. John Shelby Spong, best-selling author of Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism calls Blaker’s book "a thorough analysis of a present crisis." In this stark and troubling account of the Religious Right’s vision for America, readers will come face-to-face with fundamentalist goals and tactics that have long been under way.

Blaker’s carefully documented and compelling narrative exposes the full spectrum of issues on the Christian fundamentalist agenda. Rarely have these issues been examined so thoroughly; at least one has never been examined and exposed nationally.

This absorbing exposé urges mainstream Americans to recognize and oppose the encroachment of Christian fundamentalism on our secular society. It is a stirring appeal for religious freedom and the protection of civil liberties for all—including for the extremists who would deny such rights to others. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: New Boston Books (February 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972549617
• ISBN-13: 978-0972549615
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #740,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.