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.
