For example, although the Protestant Reformation was so important in the development of civil society, that same Christian tradition has created some of the most intolerant voices on the American scene. In another sense, this tendency toward intolerance and fundamentalism is possible within any religious tradition. For instance, the theologian Paul Tillich has defined religion as that meaningful structure through which human beings relate to their ultimate concern. With the rising tide of fundamentalism today, we see exactly this seriousness and willingness to push to extremes in both words and acts. Again, due to the absolute and fundamental importance that religion plays in the majority of people's lives, and due to the strong sense of personal and collective identity and the worldview that it offers, this fundamentalizing tendency is somewhat inevitable.
Religions are, of course, notorious for their claims of unique and exclusive access to the truth.
And, as soon as such claims are made, other religious traditions with their own unique claims to truth will be considered a threat. With the advent of globalism and the heightened sense of diversity that comes with it, it appears that this threat has become even more acute. Fundamentalism has partly grown out of the anxiety that may come about in the face of such diverse claims to truth. Unfortunately, it is often times the most threatened and anxious voices that are the loudest . The media has also overly emphasized these voices in its rare attempts at covering religion.