Fundamentalism

[debka_notion]

I think back in high school I wrote something about the perils of fundamentalism. I really don't remember what I wrote, but it's probably still online on my geocities website. It's funny to think about- that (asI think I mentioned recently) my mom looks at my religious outlook, and pretty much sees something fairly fundamentalist. And in some ways, I suppose that she's right, from a secular viewpoint. I can't see it myself though: I can't see someone who is gender-egalitarian as a fundamentalist in Judaism, especially not someone who is more than willing to compromise about Torah MiSinai (the belief that the Torah was given complete from G-d to Moses on Mount Sinai, and that hte entire Oral Law was also given at that time), even if the latter idea is one that has Plenty of backing in traditional sources. Maybe that says something about the current state of Jewish theology as much, or more so than it does about my own beliefs and behaviors, but I always did see fundamentalism as something based on belief, not behavior. But perhaps that is because it's a term I first learned as associated with Christianity, which deals far more strictly and detailedly(as far as I can tell) with theology in comparison to practice than observant forms of Judaism do. I do wonder if, by that definition, one could call someone who is completely non-practicing, but believes in Torah MiSinai a fundamentalist. Yet that seems to miss some part of the package as well.

Comments

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

I have one friend who jokingly called himself a fundamentalist- but only in doing so in describing himself as someone else would see him. But well- I imagine that it could be taken reasonably positively by someone who really believes in that set of ideals. More than this, I know not.

[doctor-nine.livejournal.com]

When the term "fundamentalist" was coined, by reform Protestant movements such as the Methodists, it was meant as a positive. They were trying to distinguish themselves from groups that were less focused on belief in the literal truth of the Bible.