Rice Webcast
Rice
Webcast
Archive

With God on Their Side:
The Impact of Islamic, Jewish, and Christian Fundamentalism in the Middle East


RealAudio/RealVideo Help

Video Clip (G2 multistream format)
Speakers: Ambassador Edward Djerejian, Marc Ellis, John Esposito, William Martin, Timothy Weber
Location: Baker Hall, Rice University
Date: October 30, 2001
Topic: With God on Their Side: The Impact of Islamic, Jewish, and Christian Fundamentalism in the Middle East
Format: Panel Discussion
Length: minutes
Abstract: On September 11, 2001, a band of zealots who were acting, at least in part, from religious conviction brought a powerful nation to a horrifying standstill with devastating attacks on its preeminent symbols of wealth and military might. This shattering event underlined once again the power of religious fundamentalism to disrupt and destroy, underscoring the need for deeper understanding of this increasingly widespread social phenomenon.

Any longstanding religion may experience outcroppings of the fundamentalist impulse, the desire to return to some imagined pristine social and cultural state by rigid adherence to a set of beliefs and practices deemed central, or fundamental, to that faith. But this impulse has appeared most often and most clearly in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, the classic "Religions of the Book," all of which appeal to authoritative scriptures and traditions to validate them in their struggle with modernity and pluralism. In this panel discussion, the Baker Institute brings bring together leading analysts to explore the impact of these traditions on political developments in the Middle East and beyond.

Links: Baker Institute announcement; Baker Institute for Public Policy


Back to main Rice Webcast page
Rice Webcast Team (webcast@rice.edu),
Copyright 1998-2001 Rice University
counter