Christian Fundamentalism Dies
Andrew Denton’s documentary “God on my Side” was screened on ABC TV last Monday night. It is currently screening in cinemas. Andrew Denton, 46, has been talking about religion recently even though he is an agnostic. Denton attended the 63rd National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Dallas, where 6,000 Christian media people gathered to sell their products and to learn in seminars from fellow Christians how to spread the word of God.
For several years, as Australia’s most listened to Christian presenter in television and radio, I was invited to attend. I would not go because it is a uniquely American fundamentalist gathering and not the kind of Christianity I was presenting in my films and videos.
Most of us get embarrassed by the extreme right of American fundamentalism. But it makes for cynical and colourful television. In this regard Denton did well. Many would have made fun of their views, their extravagant claims, their hairstyles and accents. Denton asked their views about Islam, faith healing, Israel, nuclear war and eschatology, and homosexuality and they gave their straight answers. Denton gently probed but always treated them with respect. He was an extremely good interviewer and Denton, found himself in awe of his guests’certainty and hope. “To have the kind of belief they have in God is amazing. Their faith is rock solid, and yet doubt is seen as a weakness and is not to be entertained. Once doubt was seen as a sign of balance, but that is less so now, and these people don’t seem to enter into any kind of doubt at all.”
I have been going to the USA regularly for over thirty five years, and I am an Adjunct Professor at Emmanuel School of Religion in Tennessee. Although in the South, among the fundamentalists, all of my friends, the professors and scholars would be highly embarrassed that we should see such an example of American Christianity. They regard these fundamentalists as misleading of true Christianity, tacky in their presentations and unrepresentative of “true” America even in the South.
With the death of leading fundamentalist Rev Jerry Falwell this month, the era of Christian fundamentalism dies. Rapidly new evangelical leaders are replacing the older fundamentalists. There are still a large number of fundamentalists within the Christian churches, but their influence in theology and politics is drawing to a close as the older generation dies.
Christian fundamentalism grew up in the late 19th century as a reaction to the claims of evolution and higher criticism in theology and has been influential in American Protestantism and those influenced by American Protestant missionaries and literature overseas.
During the mid-twentieth century, fundamentalism was separatist from other denominations, suspicious of all church councils, especially the World Council of Churches. Fundamentalists also opposed Christian leaders like Billy Graham, who refused to fall into step with their separatist tendencies towards Roman Catholics, mainline denominations and African Americans.
The British preacher and father of dispensationalism John Nelson Darby (1800–1882), developed timelines and charts on Biblical history and prophecy, and these were taken up by American Bible teacher Cyrus I. Scofield who opposed fundamentalism’s liberal opponents’ views on the inspiration of the Bible and doctrines like the virgin birth and the bodily resurrection of Christ. They placed great emphasis upon the end times and the Second Coming of Christ. Through his Scofield Reference Bible dispensationalism gradually gained strong adherence among fundamentalists and remained so throughout most of the twentieth century.
As the movement developed, separatism, premillennialism, and dispensationalism, characterized fundamentalist leaders and were taught in bible institutes though never in theological colleges or seminaries. The term fundamentalist, comes from a series of twelve volumes entitled The Fundamentals: A Testimony To The Truth containing 94 essays published in 1915. They attacked liberal theology known as modernism. A gift of quarter of a million dollars (a huge sum in those days) meant every English speaking minister in the world was sent the set. Even in the mid-fifties, I received a set.
Fundamentalism, with 30 million adherents in the United States stands with Pentecostalism as the most successful religious movements of the 20th century.
Most Fundamentalists are keen on the end times and the fulfilment of prophecy in the immediate future. They support an inerrant Bible, use the King James Version, oppose evolution and the early dating of the earth, support the nation of Israel as essential to the fulfilment of Biblical prophecy, and oppose any change in moral standards, especially acceptance of homosexual relationships. Over the years such practices as divorce, working wives, women in ministry, ballroom dancing, mixed bathing, women wearing make-up and slacks have been unacceptable. They remain suspicious of all mainline denominations, Catholic and Orthodox churches, councils of churches, the United Nations and multiculturalism. They readily believe in international conspiracies, a coming one-world government, are anti-communist, anti-Islamic and fear the rise of the antichrist.
Since the 1970’s Fundamentalists have influenced American politics, from opposing integration to directing policy in the Middle East. Known as the “Christian Right”, they helped sweep Ronald Reagan into the Presidency, and support George W Bush’s policies in Iraq and Israel, the appointment of conservative judges to the Supreme Court and to traditional family values.
Fundamentalism was acceptable to some Protestants mainly found in Baptist and smaller denominations, although unacceptable to the Anglican Church world-wide, the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches.
The new evangelical leaders accept many of these concerns, but question everything else unless it is prohibited in scripture. Because fundamentalism began as a reaction to views coming out of the academic community, some fundamentalists have become anti-intellectual to the point of looking down on those with higher education from secular institutions, believing that the information gathered from the Bible is far superior to scientific information. But the newer evangelical and Pentecostal churches have established schools, colleges, seminaries, and universities which have grown to be some of the largest in the world with full-accredited degrees and curriculum. One third of all Australian children now attend these schools.
The young evangelical leaders are not so focused on moral misbehaviour, but emphasise the church’s missionary endeavour to reach all countries of the world and evangelism to reach all people in the community with the Gospel. Issues such as working wives, prohibiting women in ministry, ballroom dancing, mixed bathing, women wearing make-up and slacks are regarded as purely cultural issues of a past era, and they have little concern with them. The young evangelical leaders believe that denominationalism is dead, that Christians of any tradition are on our side, that traditional liturgy and music have had their day, that Christians must grow in the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit, and that all life issues are important, so they oppose abortion, euthanasia, human cloning and embryonic stem cell research which involves the destruction of human life. They do not accept Zionism and want to support Palestinian and Lebanese Christians against Israel’s militarism. They are committed to fighting HIV AIDS and eliminating poverty in Africa.
They believe fundamentalists and others have been too slow to accept the seriousness of environmental issues and climate change. They are passionate for social justice in all of its forms, seeking peace, ending unemployment, poverty, inhumane detention of prisoners and refugees, and social intolerance of different races, cultures and religions. These now form their political agenda.
Fundamentalism is rapidly dying. It is rare to find young adults of the X and Y generation who are fundamentalists. They are mostly evangelical or Pentecostal as this year’s Church Life survey has found. Of course, such a description as I have given is in generalities and individuals can be exceptions to the rule.
The Christian Democratic Party over the past thirty years has lost support of all of the mainline denominations leaving a significant number of fundamentalists who have faithfully provided the finances and personnel to continue our concerns. But they and their traditions are also facing changing times and advancing age. If the CDP is to have a long-term future, it is with the new Evangelicals and their concerns.
Rev The Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes, A.C., M.L.C.
