perususkonnollisen

Perususkonnollinen is a Finnish adjective used to describe beliefs, attitudes, or institutions that prioritize fundamental religious doctrine over other considerations. In sociological and cultural discourse, it is often aligned with fundamentalist tendencies, though the term remains neutral and descriptive rather than a formal label of any movement. It can refer to individuals who seek to live strictly according to core religious norms, or to communities that emphasize doctrinal authority, ritual orthodoxy, and resistance to liberal reforms.

Grammatical note: The word is formed from perus- (base, fundamental) and uskonnollinen (religious). The form perususkonnollisen is the genitive singular, used to modify a following noun (e.g., perususkonnollisen ryhmän).

Contexts: In Finnish academic writing, perususkonnollinen may appear in studies of religiosity, education, or social values. The term can carry evaluative connotations depending on tone and context; it may be used descriptively to distinguish a “fundamental” approach from pluralist or liberal strands of faith, or pejoratively to criticize perceived dogmatism or exclusivism.

See also: fundamentalism, religiosity, religious conservatism, Finnish religious landscape.