A multidimensional understanding of the nature of fundamentalism is presented in this exploration of fundamentalism`s manifestations in economics, nationalism, ethnic relations, gender politics, and religious practice. While religious fundamentalism has been a particularly potent cultural force in contemporary times, other spheres have been affected by this revival of extreme positions. How fundamentalism is used by the powerful to retain privileged positions and how it can be attractive to subordinate groups as a strategy for resisting oppression are among the issues discussed in this incisive examination.