Fundies and their Friends

Several mentions last week about “fundamentalists”

Often used (on both sides) as a pejorative term

We’re either on the side of the fundies

…or we’re dead-set against them

Some of that is media influence

Hear “fundamental,” think weird, extreme and even dangerous

Some groups don’t help that image, some even carry the name Baptist

Some is marginally earned: Those who identify as fundamentalist are often legalist, defining many behaviors, or omitted behaviors, as sin

But at the core....

What is Fundamentalism?

a form of a religion, especially Islam or Protestant Christianity, that upholds belief in the strict, literal interpretation of scripture. (oxford)

or

The term applied to a variety of conservative religious beliefs, especially Christian and Jewish, characterized by, among other things, the conviction that the Bible is free from any kind of human error, historical, scientific, ethical, or theological. Fundamentalists reject the discoveries of modern *archaeology, biblical criticism, and science where they appear to contradict Scripture.The term applied to a variety of conservative religious beliefs, especially Christian and Jewish, characterized by, among other things, the conviction that the Bible is free from any kind of human error, historical, scientific, ethical, or theological. Fundamentalists reject the discoveries of modern *archaeology, biblical criticism, and science where they appear to contradict Scripture (concise dictionary)

a religious movement emphasizing biblical literalism.[1] In its modern form, it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British and American Protestants[2] as a reaction to theological liberalism and cultural modernism. Fundamentalists argued that 19th-century modernist theologians had misunderstood or rejected certain doctrines, especially biblical inerrancy, which they considered the fundamentals of the Christian faith (wiki)

What is the Origin?

Early 20th century 1909 beginning

Conceived and funded by Lyman and Milton Stewart (Presbyterians)

90 essays, 64 authors

>250,000 set were sent out to a myriad of people in multiple organizations, schools and ministries

Essays defended orthodoxy

…attacked higher criticism, liberal theology, Roman Catholicism, socialism, modernism, atheism, Christian Science, Mormonis, Millennial Dawn—which splintered into JW and other groups, spiritualism and evolutionism

Originally published in 12 volumes

Now available in 4 volumes in .pdf format

Not to be confused with

Evangelicalism

is a transdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity. It maintains the belief that the Gospel consists of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ’s atonement. Evangelicals believe in the centrality of the conversion or ‘born again’ experience in receiving salvation, in the authority of the Bible as God’s revelation to humanity, and in spreading the Christian message.

Ecumenism

Not to be confused with the long history of ecumenical councils beginning with Nicea in 325 AD

The movement within the church to reconcile and promote understanding between the denominations in the hope of restoring unity.

Seems to lead to dilution of truth, loss of denominational distinctives