The Folklore Fundamentalist: Notes on the Politics of Storytelling

Abstract

In the shadow of conflagration, folklorists and other spinners of tales have a role in creating tolerance through stories, tales without borders that can be shared because they can be apprehended and appreciated whether or not the listener believes they are "true." Religious fundamentalists of many faiths often take a dogmatic stance toward the stories that touch on their religious beliefs. In so doing, they lose the ambiguities at the heart of story that enable tales to be shared across cultures and become a weapon for peace.