What's Right With Fundamentalism



If you want to say something negative about a group you call them fundamentalists. It generally means people that are narrow and judgmental and not the kind of people you want to be around. They are viewed as generally harmful and destructive and their influence should be limited if not eliminated entirely. It’s very common for the mainstream press to refer to all Christians as fundamentalists if they believe in orthodox Christian doctrine. The word has spilled over into many other uses. If you want to say something negative about Islam you talk about Muslim fundamentalists. The same with Hindus. People of Mormon heritage who still practice polygamy call themselves Fundamentalist LDS. So the word is widespread and always has negative connotations.

But that’s not how the word was used originally. In 1915 a group of Christians gathered and decided on what were non-negotiable “Fundamentals of the Faith.” They were:

1.   The virgin birth and deity of Jesus.

2.   The substitutionary death of Jesus.

3.   The resurrection of Jesus Christ.

4. The infallibility and inerrancy of the Scriptures.
5. The second coming of Christ.

In time the people who believed in these five fundamentals were predictably called “fundamentalists.” It’s a name they gave themselves. But also in time it began to carry the negative connotations it has today.

I grew up in a fundamentalist church and wrote my doctoral dissertation on Fundamentalism for the University of Colorado. In my study of the group I learned that though the criticisms carried some weight it was far from the whole story. In fact, I think Christian Fundamentalists are a powerful group doing great work in furthering the Kingdom of God. And I think they have four major strengths.

 First, Fundamentalists are sold out to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. They believe in His supremacy over all things, especially the individual Christian and the church. On this Fundamentalists are like all Christians should be: uncompromising.

Second, Fundamentalists are intensely evangelistic. They share the Gospel often and in every imaginable way. They hold services in jails and prisons, they preach in rest homes and rehab centers. They preach on street corners and distribute tracts and Christian literature. They put millions of Bibles into circulation. They go door to door seeking witnessing opportunities and share Christ with friends and neighbors at every opportunity. They believe the Gospel saves people from a certain eternity in hell. This predictably carries over into missions. Fundamentalists have numerous outstanding missionary organizations that reach people all over the world.

Third, Fundamentalists believe in the inerrancy of Scripture and submit to its authority in every venue of life. They are committed to the translation of Scripture into every language on earth in the hopes that the Bible’s message will reach everyone. They fight for the Bible’s authority and battle against any of the modern liberals who seek to water down or contradict its message.

Fourth and finally, they believe the Christian should be separated from the world as is taught in 2 Corinthians 6. This is a separation of lifestyle, beliefs, and values not a physical separation such as you see in monasticism. As a prime example of this Fundamentalists started developing their own educational institutions a couple of generations ago and today they fund thousands of primary and secondary Christian schools as well as many colleges and seminaries.

Fundamentalism has brought untold millions into contact with Christ and into eternity in his presence. I am an expert of what’s wrong with Fundamentalism. But at the end of the day it is a powerful movement that has glorified God and His Son Jesus Christ. Before we criticize them we need to thank God for them.

More:

Christianity Today offers a grudging defense of Fundamentalism

The introduction to my book on Fundamentalism: https://www.the401stprophet.com/the-introduction-to-my-book-on-fundamentalism