Before the Enlightenment religion was the dominant force in Europe. The Catholic Church exerted spiritual authority. However the enlightenment, also known as the age of reason challenged the supremacy of religion in both the political and social life of Europe. Enlightenment philosophers like Voltaire and John Locke viewed religion with skepticism and believed it should not interfere with the public sphere. Bruce Lincoln, the author of Holy Terrors, Thinking about Religion after September 11 attempts to breakdown ever changing history to other aspects of culture. He analyzed the mix between religion and culture in what he described as “maximalist and minimalists” manifestations of religion. Rather than “fundamentalist’ a maximalist believes
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He also included a side-by-side comparison of George W. Bush and Osama Bin Laden’s speeches showing how both of them are religious maximalists but Bush being more elusive than Bin Laden. They both, "constructed a Manichean struggle where Sons of Light confront Sons of Darkness" (20) and seen themselves as guardians or the voice of the weak. They use their maximalist views in their speeches to appeal to other maximalists of their shared religions. Minimalists, in contrast believe that religion should be "restricted to an important set of (chiefly metaphysical) terms, protects its privileges against state intrusion but restricts its activity and influence to its specialized sphere"(5). Since the Enlightenment, the minimalist believes religion is a personal choice aand whoever wants to be it is allowed, but should act privately on those beliefs. They ensure that religion stays within its boundaries and does not interfere with economic or political orders. According to Lincoln, in the maximalist society, religious authorities are responsible for keeping
He also included a side-by-side comparison of George W. Bush and Osama Bin Laden’s speeches showing how both of them are religious maximalists but Bush being more elusive than Bin Laden. They both, "constructed a Manichean struggle where Sons of Light confront Sons of Darkness" (20) and seen themselves as guardians or the voice of the weak. They use their maximalist views in their speeches to appeal to other maximalists of their shared religions. Minimalists, in contrast believe that religion should be "restricted to an important set of (chiefly metaphysical) terms, protects its privileges against state intrusion but restricts its activity and influence to its specialized sphere"(5). Since the Enlightenment, the minimalist believes religion is a personal choice aand whoever wants to be it is allowed, but should act privately on those beliefs. They ensure that religion stays within its boundaries and does not interfere with economic or political orders. According to Lincoln, in the maximalist society, religious authorities are responsible for keeping