Christian Fundamentalism Another Look
Fundamentalism is a term popularly used to describe strict adherence to Christian doctrines based on a literal interpretation of the Bible. This usage derives from a late-19th- and early-20th-century transdenominational Protestant movement that opposed the accommodation of Christian doctrine to modern scientific theory and philosophy.
With some differences among themselves,
fundamentalists insist on belief in the inerrancy of the
Bible, the virgin birth and divinity of Jesus Christ, the
vicarious and atoning character of his death, his bodily
resurrection, and his second coming as the irreducible
minimum of authentic Christianity.
This minimum was
reflected in such early declarations as the 14-point creed
of the Niagara Bible Conference of 1878 and the 5-point
statement of the Presbyterian General Assembly of 1910.
Two immediate doctrinal sources for fundamentalist thought
were MILLENARIANISM and biblical inerrancy.
Millenarianism, belief in the physical return of Christ to establish a 1,000-year earthly reign of blessedness, was a doctrine prevalent in English-speaking Protestantism by the 1870s. At the same time, powerful conservative forces led by Charles Hodge and Benjamin Warfield opposed the growing use of literary and historical criticism in biblical studies, defending biblical inspiration and the inerrant authority of the Bible.
The name fundamentalist was coined in 1920 to designate
those "doing battle royal for the Fundamentals." Also
figuring in the name was The Fundamentals, a 12-volume
collection of essays written in the period 1910-15 by 64
British and American scholars and preachers.
Three million
copies of these volumes and the founding of the World's
Christian Fundamentals Association in 1919 gave sharp
identity to fundamentalism as it moved into the 1920s.
Leadership moved across the years from such men as A. T.
Pierson, A. J. Gordon, and C. I. Scofield to A. C.
Dixon and Reuben Torrey, William Jennings BRYAN, and J.
Gresham Machen.
As fundamentalism developed, most Protestant denominations
in the United States felt the division between liberalism
and fundamentalism. The Baptists, Presbyterians, and
Disciples of Christ were more affected than others.
Nevertheless, talk of schism was much more common than
schism itself.
Perhaps the lack of a central organization
and a normative creed, certainly the caricature of
fundamentalism arising from the SCOPES TRIAL (1925), the
popularization of the liberal response by representatives
like Harry Emerson FOSDICK, well-publicized divisions among
fundamentalists themselves, and preoccupations with the
Depression of the 1930s and World War II curtailed
fundamentalism's appeal.
By 1950 it was either isolated
and muted or had taken on the more moderate tones of
EVANGELICALISM. In the 1970s and 1980s, however,
fundamentalism again became an influential force in the
United States.
Promoted by popular television evangelists and represented by such groups
as the MORAL MAJORITY, the new politically oriented
"religious right" opposes the influence of liberalism and
secularism in American life. The term fundamentalist has
also been used to describe members of militant Islamic
groups.
1992 Grolier Electronic Publishing, Inc.
- Fundamentalism Another Look
- Ontario Canada: Racist convention shut down by The Guardian
- Christian Fundamentalism Exposed
- Christian Fundamentalism by Myss
- Liberal-Bane The Real Truth About Christian Fundamentalism by Paul Scates
- The Historical Roots of America's Christian Fundamentalism by Sunshine
- A Christian Boom
Gender | Male | 62% |
---|---|---|
Race | White | 97% |
Marital Status |
Married | 85% |
Region | Northeast | 22% |
Midwest | 20% | |
West | 22% | |
South | 36% | |
Age | Under 35 yrs | 12% |
35 to 50 yrs | 46% | |
51 to 65 yrs | 26% | |
Over 65 yrs | 16% | |
Education | High school or less | 8% |
Some college | 22% | |
College graduate | 23% | |
Post-grad degree | 47% | |
Occupation | New Class professionals | 34% |
Technical professionals | 12% | |
Business managers | 7% | |
Small business | 18% | |
Clerical/blue collar | 6% | |
Housewife | 9% | |
Retired | 14% | |
Annual Income |
Under $25,000 | 10% |
$25,000-$50,000 | 25% | |
$50,000-$75,000 | 26% | |
$75,000-$150,000 | 24% | |
Over $150,000 | 15% |
The above chart came from http://www.ifas.org/library/survey/index.html, which went down in 2001. The similar survey for Liberals included with this original article showed similar upper income activists but differed in three important ways. The Liberal activists also tended to be older than Christian activists and also had higher net incomes above the general public. Second, more non-whites, but the vast majority was white. Third, liberals tended to be less owners and more professionals such as doctors and lawyers. This would make sense because so many of these types tend to be socialist (anti-business) and anti-religious. Neither group overall represents your typical working-class American, but many working-class people tend to be more religious then college-educated types. (Don't get the absurd idea these religious types are stupid.)
Most interesting is the 2004 presidential election where "moral values" seemed to carry the day. While it's easy to say a victory for the Religious Right, in my opinion it's more a failure of the Left and Liberalism. Bush got almost half the Hispanic vote and 56% (according to CNN) of the Catholic vote. So is this a victory for white, fundamentalist' Protestants or changes across the board?
Looking at other stats on this website, as of 2000 76.5% of the US population identified themselves as Christians while estimates of the Evangelical (Protestant) part of the population is between 15-20%. Secular/nonreligious/atheist/agnostic is about 15%. Christianity grew by 5% between 1990 and 2000, secular by 110% Evangelicals do a lot of missionary work, but tend to get people to change churches as opposed to reaching non-believers.
Another interesting stat is evolution. Atheistic evolution claims about a 9% following while belief in God claims 91%. But of that 91% for God, It's an almost even split that half of those that believe in God (40%) believe in evolution as the work of God. I guess it depends on the definition of God. The important thing to note is the shift away from evangelicalism (including Six-Day Creationism) seems to be as adults. 45% of scientists believe in God.
- Fundamentalism Another Look
- Ontario Canada: Racist convention shut down by The Guardian
- Christian Fundamentalism Exposed
- Christian Fundamentalism by Myss
- Liberal-Bane The Real Truth About Christian Fundamentalism by Paul Scates
- The Historical Roots of America's Christian Fundamentalism by Sunshine
- A Christian Boom
- What Now for Post Christian Deism?
- Deism Must Oppose Homosexual Tyranny
- Deism Versus Phony White Guilt Cult
- Deism Must Oppose Infanticide
- Rise of Deism from Reform Christianity
- Doom Of Deism?
- Links to Religious Topics
- Deist Examination of Islamic Trinity
- Mohammed the Man as Islamic Ideology
- Why Muslims Can't Build a Lightbulb
- Original Sin an Overview
- Gnosticism as Explained by Bishop N. T. Wright
- Deist Critique of the Gospel of Mark
- Religious Syncretism and Christianity
- Classical Deist' View of Religion and Its Application Today
- Taking a Closer Look at Gnosticism and Christianity
- Thoughts on Theistic Evolution and Deism by Lewis Loflin
- My Answer to a Secular Fundamentalist by Lewis Loflin
- Separation of Pseudo-Religion and State
- Environmentalism Religion or Political Philosophy?
- Leftist Failure in Seattle Schools
- Biblical Monotheism an Overview
- Jesus was not Zoroaster or Buddha
- Judaism Versus Zoroastrianism
- What are we to believe?
- The Devil
- Hellenism Meets Judaism
- Zoroastrianism Sources