In general parlance, the term refers to any ideology (whether religious or otherwise) that is extremist in its affirmation, intolerant, unreasonable, and challenging the idea that rational, secular enquirys is the best way to understand the world. So, e.g., we often find expressions in the popular press like 'Islamic fundamentalists' (e.g., the Taliban, Osama bin Laden), 'darwinian fundamentalists' (e.g., Richard Dawkins) and, of course, 'Christian fundamentalism.' Almost always associated with the word is the idea of someone who is out of touch with the reality of the modern world and one determined to bend the world back to some kind of 'golden age' in the historic imagination of the believer.
Further Reading & Resources:
Debora MacKenzie, "End of the Enlightenment," New Scientist (8 October 2005), 40-43.
Michael Brooks, "Metting of minds," New Scientist (8 October 2005) 44-46.
Mike Holderness, "Enemy at the Gates," New Scientist (8 October 2005) 47-49.
Bryan Appleyard, "People in Glass Houses . . ." New Scientist (8 October 2005) 50-51.
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