overview

With an engaging manner, a clarity of expression, and a keen sense of humor that make this powerful book a pleasure to read, first-time author R.D. Gold relentlessly dismantles the whole mind-set of the religious fundamentalist. At first glance, it might appear that Gold has the singular purpose of deconstructing the doctrines of Orthodox Judaism (Jewish fundamentalism), but in reality the book develops a compelling argument that applies to all forms of fundamentalist religion. The evangelical belief system is firmly anchored in the same literal reading of the Old Testament that is at the core of Orthodox Jewish doctrine, and indeed would be incomprehensible without it. By pulling up the anchor that is the literal truth of the Torah, Gold sets adrift not only the foundation of Orthodox Judaism, but of Christian fundamentalism as well.

There is a Great Debate unfolding across the United States pitting reason and science against revelation and faith, which makes Bondage of the Mind a very timely book for anyone concerned about the larger effects of religious fundamentalism on the country’s culture and political affairs. It is also important reading for anyone concerned about the insidious mind manipulation that cults and fundamentalist religious groups employ to gain converts. We would all do well to pay close attention to Gold’s overarching message in this important book, for that message is relevant to all of us.

In our unstable world, where individuals seem to have less and less control over their lives, more and more people are seeking refuge in the security blanket of a fundamentalist belief system that tells us that what is happening is God’s will. Liberal Christians and Jews can no longer dismiss these fundamentalists as misguided zealots. Today we need to be able to counter their arguments not with what we feel instinctively, but with hard facts. Hard facts and incontrovertible evidence are precisely what Gold uses to build his powerful case against fundamentalist dogma.

But Gold does not stop there, leaving his reader with a choice that is limited to fundamentalism (I believe all of it) or atheism (I believe none of it). His core message is not that religion should be abandoned because some doctrines are corrosive of true morality. Rather, the core message is that religious fundamentalism is an insidious force that must be combated if our hearts and minds are to remain free.

Bondage of the Mind announces itself as a book about truth, but it is also a book about freedom.