# Revisionism? Protestants forced conversions



## VictorBravo (Dec 11, 2007)

This caught my eye. Apparently translating the Bible into English caused all sorts of problems, especially fundamentalism. They say it helps explain the rise of Muslim fundamentalism, too. 

It gets dangerous when people start to read and take scripture seriously, I guess. The historian seems to long for when the Catholic clergy could guide the people. I wonder if he fogot that there were pastors and preachers in the Reformation.

Historian: First English Bible Fueled First Fundamentalists - Yahoo! News


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## DMcFadden (Dec 11, 2007)

What a bunch of tripe. Does the Harvard prof have fear of education and literacy (_Didaskaleinophobia_) or is it just _Theophobia_?


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## Seb (Dec 11, 2007)

I'm not trying to hijack this thread...I'm sorry, I know this will be a little bit: 

But as a newbie (former typical SBC Baptist) to the Reformed Faith, can somebody help me get a good understanding of what the term "fundamentalism" really means. I've tried to study it and it seems very relative and hard to get a handle on.

In the past, I always thought what I understood to be "Christian Fundamentalism" was a good thing. More and more in reformed circles I read it as a pejorative term. 

Is there some history or clarity I'm missing that I can't find  or am I being thick headed? 

Please forgive me for my shallow knowledge on the topic.


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## VictorBravo (Dec 11, 2007)

Seb said:


> I'm not trying to hijack this thread...I'm sorry, I know this will be a little bit:
> 
> But as a newbie (former typical SBC Baptist) to the Reformed Faith, can somebody help me get a good understanding of what the term "fundamentalism" really means. I've tried to study it and it seems very relative and hard to get a handle on.
> 
> ...



Steve, in the eyes of most the world, Reformed Christians are fundamentalists. Their definition: anybody who believes that the Bible is true and who take it seriously.

In the Reformed world, however, fundamentalism is used differently. It refers to the movement in the early 20th century that was trying to hold to the bare minimum of truth against an onslaught of liberalism. So there were certain nonnegotiable "fundamentals" that were broader than the Reformed view. Things like the Trinity, inerrancy of Scripture, the virgin birth of Christ, the essentiality of belief in Christ. These were things that conservative Christians could all agree on, including in the group some charismatics, dispensationalists, even some Catholics.

As time went on, fundamentalism came to describe a militant form of belief that refused to engage with liberalism at all. So some looked at it as having a "head in the sand--don't make me think" aspect. Meanwhile, the Reformed were holding to all the fundamentals as well, but were also holding to the rich teaching of the Reformation.

That's why sometimes you'll see Reformed people use "fundamentalist" in a negative way. They are talking about those who don't want to think about their religion. But we should keep in mind that in engaging the world, the fundamentalists are our friends. Machen certainly thought so, most of the other Christians had abandoned him in his battle to maintain doctrinal purity.

I've over simplified, but I think I've pointed out the basics.


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## Seb (Dec 11, 2007)

Thanks Vic,

I think I'm understanding it a little now. 

In light of what you said...a "fundamentalist" would be more likely to want to separate from the world, live on a island, and believe only the "minimums" of the faith without ever being challenged? If so, then I recently left a whole Church full of them - no confessional standards except the bare minimums. Don't want to "put God in a box don't ya know"

In my mind, that would explain why so many reformed folks like to debate points of the faith, both within Christiandom and out in the world. They are less separatist, more engaging, and more sure of why they believe, what they believe.


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## PuritanCovenanter (Dec 11, 2007)

Theopedia has a good short on it. 

Fundamentalism - Theopedia


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## Seb (Dec 11, 2007)

Thanks Martin,

I forget about Theopedia sometimes. I read the entry there and the more I read the more I want to know.

I'm thinking about a couple of books by George M. Marsden. They look like a good place to get some perspective on the history and impact of the fundy movement.

I'm so clueless about all this, it's almost embarrassing.


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## RamistThomist (Dec 11, 2007)

Marsden is probably the authority on the subject. I like Fundamentalism. I have been thinking of changing my PB handle to "Wacky Fundamentalist."


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## Seb (Dec 11, 2007)

ooh, ooh, ooh...  I found an article that helped a lot at Monergism. 

Fundamentalism Vs. Reformed Theology by John Hendryx

Thanks everybody for the help and for putting up with my distraction. 

Sorry for interrupting... Now back our regularly scheduled thread...


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## DMcFadden (Dec 11, 2007)

When I want to tweak the noses of liberals, I call myself a fundamentalist too. Few things cause liberals to fulminate so furiously and lose the rational control of their faculties. The books, _The Fundamentals_, contained many chapters by good Reformed folks. In fact, the beginnings of the fundamentalist struggle with liberalism came out of Presbyterians at Princeton before it involved Baptists and others.


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## Kevin (Dec 11, 2007)

Marsden is good.

There is also a fairly large litt. written from a sociological perspective. Start with "God's Choice; The Total World of A Fundamentalist Christian School" By Peshkin and "Bible Belivers; Fundamentalists in the Modern World" by Ammerman. Also BJU press has publuished Dollar's book "A History of Fundamentalism"

These four books will give a fairly good orientation.


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## Kevin (Dec 11, 2007)

Spear Dane said:


> Marsden is probably the authority on the subject. I like Fundamentalism. I have been thinking of changing my PB handle to "Wacky Fundamentalist."





I was thinking of changing mine to "wakky Fundamentalist"


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