Fundamentalism has its roots in American Protestantism, where conflicts arose due to the late 19th- and early 20th-century movement known as the Modernist Controversy. It was about the tendency of some Christians toward intellectual developments such as evolutionary biology, which challenged the biblical account of creation. Gradually, Protestant denominations separated into two camps, modernist or liberal and traditionalist or conservative. Liberals argued that believers should adapt their beliefs based on scientific and academic findings, while conservatives argued that believers should continue to view the Bible as the infallible and ultimate truth (Weinberg & Pedahzur, 2003). Generic fundamentalism is a worldwide religious disposition that wants to recover and institutionalize parts of the past that have been obscured by modernist ideas. The secular state is the enemy because it is more interested in democratic reforms, education and economic progress than in spirituality. Generic fundamentalism is based on religious texts that are above criticism and adheres to social patterns rooted in them, including clearly defined roles for men and women, parents and children, clergy and laity. Furthermore, it does not ascribe separation between church and state and claims that religious “truths” are absolute and apply to everyone (Wacker, 2000). Historical fundamentalism refers to all aspects of generic fundamentalism and also to the concerns of the religious community in the United States in the early 20th century. Many of the concerns were based on major changes that had occurred in the culture, such as awareness of world religions, the teaching of human evolution, and the increased... middle of paper... view of a social and religious perspective. protest against perceived threats to “traditional” Christianity (Wacker, 2000). Works Cited Conservatism and the Rise of Ronald Reagan. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2014, from the Department of State website: http://countrystudies.us.united-states/history-136.htmLambert, F. (2008). The rise of the “religious right”. In Religion in American Politics (pp. 184-217). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Oslon, L. R. (2011). The essentiality of "culture" in the study of religion and politics. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 50(4), 639-653.Wacker, G. (2000). The rise of fundamentalism. Retrieved June 11, 2014, from http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/tkeyinfo/fundam.htmWeinberg, L., & Pedahzur, A. (2003). Religious fundamentalism and political extremism. Totalitarian movements and political religions, 4(3), 55-71.