Fundamentalism

World War I and the changing social scene (typified by mass immigration) forced church leaders at the beginning of the 20th century to come to terms with the declining human condition. Also, with the rise and growth of Protestant Liberalism of the 19th century and the culmination of the scientific, psychological, and paleontological works of Einstein, Freud and Darwin, et al., 20th-century theologians were forced to revise their theologies in light of these new discoveries. Led by such modernists as Harry Emerson Fosdick, many did. The more conservative theologians, however, viewed all changes, progressive or otherwise, with suspicion believing that certain fundamental aspects of life should never change. Especially viewing evolutionary theories as anathema, they sought in many instances to gain political control of individual denominations in an attempt to preserve the "correct beliefs."

Consisting of many different branches, Fundamentalism is an outgroth of Evangelicalism and Revivalism. There were three specific incidents which help to identify its inception:

1. The publication between 1910 and 1912 of a series of paperback books entitled, The Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth. The volumes stressed the five points of Fundamentalism:

2. The formation of the World's Christian Fundamentals Association in 1919, concerned with saving churches from Modernism and the insidious effects of the evolutionary concepts of Charles Darwin.

3. The Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925, sensationalizing the gulf between conservative beliefs and scientific theory and bringing to conception the possibility of using legal tactics to subdue unacceptable doctrine.

The hymnody of fundamentalist theology is, for the most part, gospel hymnody. Even though gospel hymnody evolved fully 75 years before the crystallization of fundamentalism, the "folk-theology" contained in most gospel hymns from the 19th century (a peculiar blend of Calvinism and Arminianism) coincides with the tenants of fundamentalism. Gospel hymnody, after all, has its roots in the northern urban revival movement of the mid-1800's and the conservative theology espoused by the evangelist preachers in their protracted meetings [Evangelicalism and Revivalism]. At any rate, today, gospel hymnody is for the most part the popular religious music of Christian fundamentalism.

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See Fundamentalism [at Believe].

See Inerrancy and Infallibility of the Bible [at Believe].

See Evangelicalism [at Believe].

See Literalism [at Believe].

See God, Genesis, and the Big Bang.

See Reasons to Believe, especially What We Believe [a site devoted to a Fundamentalist World View, especially Creationism, and reconciling the scientific record with a literal interpretation of the Bible].

See Creationism [an excellent, but technical, article from the Catholic Encyclopedia. Also see Creation.]

See www.creationism.org

See What is Creationism?

See FAQ's regarding Evolution vs. Creationism.

See Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition

See Phyllis Schlafy's Eagle Forum

See James Dobson's Focus on the Family

See The Traditional Values Coalition

See The Family Research Council

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Responses to Conservative (Funtamentalist) Christianity)

See Walk Away *** (a place where former fundamentalists can read the stories of other people who have left fundamentalism behind)

See Insiders look at Fundamentalism (book review by Martin E. Marty)

See Culture Watch Online (a montly annotated bibliography on the religious right)

See People for the American Way

See Americans United for the Separation of Church and State

See Institute for First Amendment Studies

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See Modernism and Theological Liberalism [at Believe].

See Liberal Evangelicalism [at Believe].

See Liberal Theology

See Walk Away [a WEB site hosted by the Institute for First Amendment Studies and offering "support to those wrestling with the fear and guilt often associated with Christian fundamentalism." They seek to provide support "for those who have already left fundamentalism or some extreme form of Bible-based belief, and are seeking support in their decision to walk away."]

See Philosophy, Science and Skepticism.

See Current Conflicts between Conservative Christianity and Science