Fundamentalism, Sectarianism and Revolution The Jacobin Dimension of Modernity [Paperback]

Leading comparative sociologist's major statement on the relationship between modernity, revolution and religion.This book is a major comparative analysis of fundamentalist movements in historical and cultural context, spanning revolutionary France, America and Japan, with an emphasis on the contemporary scene. Leading sociologist S. N. Eisenstadt examines the proto-fundamentalist movements which arose in the great 'axial civilizations' in pre-modern times in order to illuminate the meaning of the global rise of fundamentalism which is shown to be an important current in modernity. The central theme of the book is the distinctively Jacobin features of fundamentalist movements and their ambivalent attitude to tradition.This book is a major comparative analysis of fundamentalist movements in historical and cultural context, spanning revolutionary France, America and Japan, with an emphasis on the contemporary scene. Leading sociologist S. N. Eisenstadt examines the proto-fundamentalist movements which arose in the great 'axial civilizations' in pre-modern times in order to illuminate the meaning of the global rise of fundamentalism which is shown to be an important current in modernity. The central theme of the book is the distinctively Jacobin features of fundamentalist movements and their ambivalent attitude to tradition.This book is a major comparative analysis of fundamentalist movements in historical and cultural context, spanning revolutionary France, America and Japan, with an emphasis on the contemporary scene. Leading sociologist S. N. Eisenstadt examines the protofundamentalist movements that arose in the great axial civilizations in premodern times in order to illuminate the meaning of the global rise of fundamentalism that is shown to be an important current in modernity. The central theme of the book is the distinctively Jacobin features of fundamentalist movements and their ambivalent attitude to tradition.1. Heterodoxies, sectrarianism and utopianism lÓ5