Author (Your Name)

Laura M. Gagne, Colby College

Date of Award

2000

Document Type

Honors Thesis (Open Access)

Department

Colby College. Religious Studies Dept.

Advisor(s)

Thomas R.W. Longstaff

Second Advisor

Debra Campbell

Abstract

My research aims to understand how and why fundamentalists justify violence against people who do not fit their profile of "righteous" or "saved" persons, such as abortion doctors and clinic workers, gays and lesbians, and Jews. The first section of this paper travels through the history of fundamentalism since its origins in the British and American apocalipticism, or belief in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. However, my history of Protestant Fundamentalism in the United States will focus on the ways in which Fundamentalism developed in response to many changes in American social structure. I interpret Fundamentalism as an anti-modern movement seeking to reassert "traditional" Christian values.

Keywords

Christian Fundamentalism -- Religion -- United States -- Apocalipticism

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