The document discusses strategies for overcoming religious fundamentalism through establishing dialogue and a culture of understanding. It begins by defining religious fundamentalism and examining its characteristics, such as maintaining fixed narratives of faith and creating a strict dualism between insiders and outsiders. Myths and ignorance about other religious groups are propagated through various strategies, including the use of media and education. However, fundamentalism can be overcome by addressing questions of self, promoting unity among humankind through sharing resources, removing ignorance through communication and dialogue, and establishing grassroots dialogue groups to foster a culture of coexistence.

1. Overcoming Religious
Fundamentalism
Presented by Rev Joshva Raja at
the SCMI meeting Jamshedpur
2005 May.
Saha Navavathu Saha Navbunakthu
Sahaviryam Karavavahai May He (God) protect us both together
Thejasvi Navadhithamasthu May He nourish us both together
Ma vidvishavahai May we both work together with great
energy
Upanisad prayer May our study be vigorous and effective
May we not hate each other

2. Bush and Laden in US

4. What is fundamentalism?
• It refers to all religious movements that seek to
return to ‘fundamentals of their faith’. (Hippler
and Lueg:1995)
• “the affirmation of religious authority as holistic
and absolute, admitting neither criticism nor
reduction…” (Lawrence:1989)
• It is “a proclamation of reclaimed authority over
a sacred tradition which is to be reinstated as
an antidote for a society…” (Hadden and
Shupe: 1989).

5. Fundamentalism contd…
Fundamentalism is understood as the strict
maintenance of traditional orthodox religious
beliefs or doctrines especially belief in the
inerrancy of scripture and literal acceptance
of the creeds as fundamentals of one’s own
religion (The New Shorter Oxford Dictionary).
Fundamentalism in simple words can be
explained as an act of return to the
fundamentals of a particular religion or a text
which people believe to be literally true.

6. Different Kinds of
Fundamentalisms
Religious Political
National
Theological
Cultural Economic
Racial
Caste Tribal
Linguistic
Hadden:1992
Liberal

7. What makes a sect - fundamentalist
group?
 Fixed Narratives of Faith – Fixing God within this
narratives and thus play God for their ends-absolutism
and inerrancy of their revelation - selective of their
tradition – defend it at all costs – feel threatened by
erosion of religious values.
 Strictly dualistic – Myth of the other - members are
chosen in light –outsiders are under darkness – and so
the other is evil and is the enemy of God and are
threat to their faith, culture and so on – propagating
the negative information of the other and thus
ignorance about the ‘other’.

8.  Outsiders though they follow another religions
they are ‘infidals’, ‘Pagans’, ‘Heathens’, ‘jihadis’
or ‘Western’ and thus seen as monolithic
group (Homogenous) – a fear of other is
created
 Myth of the Golden age or ideal world filled
with their members only – Ram Raj; Umma;
Kingdom of God/New Creation – thus often
support/join with right wing politicians to
establish it.

9. Get Rid of ‘Others’

10. Fundamentalism, Orthodoxy,
Charismatic groups are not the same!
 Is it wrong to hold on to one’s own beliefs? –
fundamentals of belief – If it leads us to the
extend of seeing the other as evil and thus
trying to eliminate the other, then the
fundamentalism is wrong. (Asghar Ali Engineer –
Orthodoxy is not fundamentalism).
 No Religion is a fundamentalist religion but
every religion has a few characteristics of
fundamentalism.
 Revival groups, Reform movements are not
fundamentalists unless they are extremely
exclusive.

11. Strategies of Popularizing
Fundamentalism among
the public
Rumors
Media
Education
History
Politics
Diplomacy

14. Myths and Other
-Created
-Constructed
-reiterated

15. Media and Mythical statements
 ‘Christianity is a slow poison which is the cause
of peace and family felling among the tribals.
Christian missionaries have made use of
Government resources for the purposes of
conversions’. – Sandesh Newspaper
 missionaries do forceful conversion in Gujarat -
Gujarat Samachar (a daily newspaper), Nav
Gujarat (a daily),

16. ‘minorities have to earn majority's goodwill’
“70 HINDUS ARE BURNT ALIVE” as Headlines.
“AVENGE BLOOD WITH BLOOD” This is a quote from a
statement issued by a VHP leader
THE ROLE OF NEWSPAPERS DURING THE GUJARAT
CARNAGE
HINDUS BEWARE: HAJ PILGRIMS RETURN WITH A
DEADLY CONSPIRACY
Boycott of Muslims
India will be a Hindu rashtra in two years…

17. Years
No of
rel. news
Hindutva[1
]/Hindus
On
Muslim
s
Other
Rels
1981 119 54 42 23
1992 172 77 59 36
2002 348 126 173 49
Years
Total
Rel issues
Hindutva
/ Hindus
Muslms Other
Rel
1995 270 93 118 59
2002 336 124 168 44

18. India Today
No of articles
Islam Vs
Hinduism
Terrorism(Islami
c)Vs
Nationalism
Iconic clashes -
Picts
Colours (green
vs saffron)
1981 3 7 00
1992 14 21 08
2002 56 73 17
Frontline
No of
articles
Islam Vs
Hinduism
Terrorism
(Islamic)
Vs
Nationalism
Iconic
Clashes
Pictures
1995 12 8 3
2002 71 79 17

19. Impact of Fundamentalism on US
 Mass Ignorance – Culture of Suspicion –
Mass Phobia - Mis Understanding
 Relationship breaks down – No contacts –
Culture of confrontation spreads
 Any Flash news becomes a clash news –
Burning of Ko’ran leaves 100 dead – Jo
Bole So Nihaal- Culture of Violence
spreads.

20. culture of
suspicion
culture of
confrontation
culture of
violence
e.g.
Islamophobia

21. Myth and Ignorance
Huntington’s thesis on Clash of Civilization
Edward Said’s Clash of Ignorance
Ignorance does not refer to ‘not-knowing the other’ rather
means to ‘knowing more or only the negative side of the
other’. It is often articulated by the vested groups and so
can be identified as ‘articulated ignorance’ of the other.

22. Attacks on the churches in Gujarat
after these reports

23. Muslim
Refugees
Dead bodies from
the train
Bogie on fire
Post Godhra
hatredness
hum paanch,
hamaare pachhis
(we are five and
we will be twenty
five).
Flash and Clash

24. Pre and Post Godhra
Impact

25. How to overcome Religious
Fundamentalism?
 Addressing the question of Self
 Unity with humankind – Sharing the resources
 Narratives and Unity – Removing Ignorance
 Communicating towards a Culture of Dialogue –
Respecting Human Dignity of the ‘other’
 Establishing Dialogue groups at grassroots
 Alternative media and Culture of Peace
 Our Mission towards Culture of Coexistence

26. ‘Self’s in us
Divine Self
Natural Self Human Self
reflective,
reactive,
destructive-
constructive,
forgiving-
destroying,
selfish-selfless,
control,
educative,
Liberative, give-
take, negotiate,
adjustment,
calculative,
mutual co-
existential
agreement,
power seeking,
sacrificial,
giving, selfless,
service to all,
no-boundaries,
Martin Buber –
Transcending the Self

27. Self is divine self when
 It recognizes and appreciate the differences
 It accepts opposite views and critical remarks in
a positive manner
 It has spiritual harmony which leads to respect
for the other and recognizes dignity of the other.
 It tends to share its resources with the other
who needs it
 It accepts its limitations in understanding God
and also the other.

28. Unity of Humankind
Issues to understand
Unity VS Diversity
Equality VS
Differences
Evangelism Vs
dialogue
Pluralism VS Religious Coexistence
Liberal Vs
Cultural
protectionism
Communitarian
values VS
Individual
freedom
Living together in Unity sharing resources with human dignity
Not Uniformity
Not Sameness

29. Narratives serve God and Human
relationship
 God breaks Religious narratives to bring human
beings closer to him – No narrative is fixed
above God! – if fixed it is idolatry!
 Sabbath for man and not man for Sabbath – Life
driven religion rather than religion driven life –
narratives to establish human relationship rather
than break it down!
 Narrative of past and future tested on the basis
of its role in bringing people to God and also to
others. Once it serves its purpose it becomes
redundant!

30. KARMA MARGA – Path of action
ANNAPRASADHA
JNANA MARGA – The Path
of Intellectual discussion
BHAKTI MARGA – the Path of
Spiritual experience
JEEVA MARGA – The path of
Life -together
Inter-religious
Unity not
Uniformity

31. Narratives and Unity
 Become aware, verify and break the narratives
of disunity – Popularise the stories of unity
 Distance the narratives from the experience of
the real ‘self’
 Look at the use of the narratives rather than
the rational or emotional conviction or
attachment to it – Narratives to share resources
 Deconstruct the narratives with the
intercultural, inter-denominational, inter-
religious interactions

32. Interacting with the media Personal
and with public
N Pani of Times of India talking
to media and scholars
Asghar Ali
Engineer talking
to Journalists
Dialogue among journalists
and religious scholars
Dialogue in India
Bangladesh
Training
To the
streets
Dialogue in Nepal

33. Lessons for Unity from A Communication
Perspective
 Contact, Relationship and understanding – not
communication is sin - Meeting Points – Code – Recognition –
Pakistan India dialogue initiatives - RSS
Christian dialogue
 Recognizing ‘Commonness’ of all Communities building –
Discrimination at all level is wrong – No culture has evolved
without giving or borrowing from other cultures – Breaking
the barriers -Walking down the streets to meet
people - Anna Prasada not Anna Dhana in
Whitefield - Crossing boundaries – Aesthete –
mad man – lovers – drunkard – dreamers

34. A Muslim Moghul AKbar Built-
Church in Delhi
Dialogue is communication between two
persons or communities
Dialogue is two way communication,
participatory and liberative
Thebasic purpose dialogue at grassrootsis to reducethe suspicion that onecommunity
or personhasabout the other
Accepting the other
Listening to the other
Living together with the other
Dialogue for Co-existence means

35. Critique of Dialogue
Dialogue as attempt to impose an exclusive pluralism
to eliminate evangelism and proclamation of the gospel
Dialogue as an intellectual exercise
Grassroots Dialogue
Establishes Direct Contact and Communication
Removes Ignorance and establishes relationship
From myths of ignorance and clashes to a culture of
dialogue and a life together
forms friendship, neighbourhood, citizens…

36. INTER-RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATION
INTERFAITH ACTION
INTER-RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
INTERFAITH SEARCH
JEEVA MARGA (the Path of Life)
KARMA MARGA (The Path of Action)
BHAKTI ARGA (The Path of Spiritual
Experience)
JNANA MARGA (The Path of
Intellectual Search)
As Process
As Means
As End

37. culture of dialogue
culture of Understanding
Culture of Co-existence and
Resource Sharing
A Culture of Peace and Growth

38. Deconstructing myths in the
Schools through discussion
groups

39. Alternative
media
characteristics
Dialogic, democratic,
communitarian, local,
participation
Voice of
voiceless,
minorities
and others
Cheap, easy
access, non-
profit, simple,
non-
professional
Towards
Social
change,
human
dignity
and
development
Intercultural in nature,
culturally rooted, folk
culture, updated
interactive technology
Alternative
perspectives and
practices
Space for
disabled,
HIV/AIDs
infected,
refugees,
Eunuchs, and
less privileged
people
Promote a
culture of
peace and
harmony

40. Dialogue through the Art and Net!
Rev Solomon Raj’s Art
Jyothi Sahi’s art
Church build like
a Mosque and
Temple in
Dornakal
Dialogue in Nepal
Programs in Nepal, Bangladesh, Indoensia and in India –IR Communicating
Networks between NGOs and Different Religions

41. Examples of Alternative Methods
Street Theatre Programmes
for HIV/AIDs Awareness
Puppet shows for intercultural
dialogue
HIV/AIDs Posters

42. Jesus accepted his listeners
‘as they were’ (Jeeva)
Jesus often listens to his
audiences and even to his
opponents (Jnana)
Jesus Engaged in others’ search
for meanings of Eternal Life…
(Bhakti)
Jesus touch the lepers, healed the sick
and fed the hungry crowd (Karma)

43. Prophetic
Liberative
Nourishes
Culture
Building
Communities
Development-
oriented
Dialogic
Plurality
of Mission
Sharing the Gospel
conversion

44. Your Commitment today
 To set up Small groups/clubs/network
from different religions and from
different castes to establish contact,
listen, talk, understand and learn about
each other!!!!
 To use small media to promote stories
of inter-religious and inter-cultural
relationship – to further understanding
between different communities!!!

45. Commitment contd…
 Writing a joint letter to the president asking
him to build a hospital in the place of
temple-mosque and make a statement that
we younger generation want to establish a
culture of dialogue and a culture of peace
in the place where we live in
 Media Awareness- writing to media –
organizing literacy programmes…