* One characteristic of religious fundamentalism is the resistant to change. They are set in their ways and do not want to change their original faith and they want to return to the basics of their faith and tend to views that are resistant to religious and social change because this can be seen to them as a threat to their own beliefs and way of life. Another characteristic is that their idea and vision of how the world is etc is the only valid one and they deny that any other vision or idea about the world could be semi right or have some validity. In addition they believe in the literal truth of their text. They think that what is written in the text is literally true and do not think of it or see it as a story. Therefore do not see how there could ever be any scientific explanation for the creation of the world and just accept exactly what is said in their religious text. * Functionalists, Marxists and Feminists argue that religion functions to keep society stable; in other words, it prevents change. However, Weber saw religion as contributing to social change. He identified a link between the branch of Christian Protestantism called Calvinism and the development of Capitalism in Western Europe.

Functionalists do argue that although religion prevents change is just prevents change happening quickly. It supports evolutionary change and prevents rapid or revolutionary change. They take the view that society evolves in much the same way that Darwinians say that species have evolved. They think that the changes ensure the maintenance of social stability and religion is one of many institutions that ensure such evolutionary change.