Fundamentalism

1.    What is religious fundamentalism? Is it a ‘throwback’ to medieval times, as some argue, or a product of modernity? (250words)2.    What are the core claims of the ‘New’ Atheists? What similarities can be observed between the New Atheists and the religious fundamentalists they criticise? 3.    Is religion inherently violent, as the New Atheists claim? 4.    Many of the world’s religious traditions have been considered incompatible with democracy. Under what conditions do religious actors support democratisation? (250words)5.    Why does Juergensmeyer (2008; 2010) argue that religion and secular nationalism are ‘competing ideologies of order’? (250words)6.    What patterns can we observe in international relations as religion has interacted with global forces of ‘integration’ and ‘disintegration’ in the post-Cold War period? (250words)