A Prison for the Mind: Reflections of a Disappointed Fundamentalist

by Adrian Charles Smith

What does it mean to be a fundamentalist? What are its common characteristics and defining features? Can we escape the prison of ideological commitment, the straightjacket of conformity and groupthink?Answers are needed to avoid the endgame of fundamentalism – totalitarian control.

Adrian Charles Smith entered adulthood as a minister in a fundamentalist Christian sect, a loyal follower of a man he now calls the Wizard. But as with the Wizard of Oz, all was revealed to be a sham and his questioning of authority led to excommunication and life in the secular world. Yet, once away from the church, he observed fundamentalism in unexpected places – in the corporate world, in science and economics, in political ideologies, New Age movements and in postmodern philosophy. Different contexts, yes, but the same underlying phenomenon, the same adherence to ‘one truth’.

In these adventurous essays, Smith, with equal amounts of erudition, humour and insight, examines why we are drawn to these fundamentalist approaches. His search ranges from the caves of Nag Hammadi to the hallways of Ivy League universities, from communist Romania to Sedona Arizona. He discovers his potential for unconscious relapse to one all-knowing ‘Wizard’ but eventually realizes that fundamentalists live in isolated camps, the truly free have genuine community, and unity in the midst of disagreement is possible.

This is a book about fundamentalism in all its pervasive, insidious manifestations

337 pages, Paperback

Published November 20, 2019

About the author

The author, Adrian C Smith, has a degree in law from the University of London, England. He has worked variously as a minister of religion, as a businessman and in later years as an investment analyst. He has also been a part time farmer and ecological forester. He is currently retired and living with his wife, Roxanne on a small farm in New Brunswick, Canada.

Reviews

[J.]

My favorite line was “Amazing to recall how impressionable and easily influenced Y was in my youth.” It gets to the core of fundamentalism as a basis for beliefs, actions, and reaction. The author provides hope that change is possible if individuals can break free from the foundations that build their consciousness.

[Debbie]

I have just finished reading A Prison for the Mind:Reflections of a Disappointed Fundamentalist by Adrian Charles Smith. In his book, Smith informs the reader of the dangers of not considering a variety of viewpoints before determining how this knowledge will influence your life path. The author uses examples from his own life journey, as well as examples from the philosophies of others found in print and other media sources. His message: Beware of being accepting of a single interpretation that others present of a doctrine on behalf of that doctrine. The power of a doctrine exerted on others by an individual is detrimental to the enjoyment of individual freedoms. An important addition to any personal library.

[Lee Thompson]

A Gnostic at heart, Adrian Smith tackles a large subject - fundamentalism - beginning with his involvement with an organisation he calls, simply, the Church (astute readers will figure out fairly quickly which church this was, but for this reader memories of their midnight radio apocalyptics will always haunt). Smith eventually becomes a minister in this church but his tendency to question authority (a theme in his life) leads to excommunication. And so begins a life of finding out just what 'truth' really is.

The book doesn't simply examine religious fundamentalism, but any belief system that says 'you must adhere to this one truth' and does not permit discussion of other possibilities. The author intersperses many personal stories and anecdotes, world travels, and no shortage of humour, and it all makes for an engaging, entertaining and enlightening read. And you have to love a book that quotes Orwell, Neo (from the Matrix), Jung, Shakespeare, Dawkins, Hume, PK Dick, Chomsky, and Frank Zappa, to name just a few.

Recommended reading for open (and opening) minds.

[Kimijo]

Drawing on his experience as a former fundamentalist minister, Adrian Charles Smith explores fundamentalism in religion, politics, science, and beyond. With insight and wit, he examines why we cling to “one truth” and shows how freedom, community, and unity are possible even amid disagreement.