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4.0 out of 5 stars
The ABC's of Fundamentalism, May 7, 2006
This review is from: Fundamentalism (Paperback)
Humphreys & Wise speak almost exclusively to Christian Fundamentalism as expressed in America, seeking to outline its history (beginning in the early 1900's), elucidate its concerns (Enlightenment & post-Enlightenment philosophy, Biblical criticism, Darwinian evolutionary theory, and liberal theology), map out its "fundamentals" (Biblical inerrancy, the Virgin Birth, substitutionary atonement, bodily resurrection, and premillenialism), guide "mainstream" Christians in how best to relate to their Fundamentalist brethren, and set forth a competing list of Christian fundamentals. And they accomplish this all in 99 pages.
Although they profess to sympathize with Fundamentalists, and to share some of the concerns of Fundamentalists, they often slip into the negative secular stereotype of Fundamentalism: It is a bad thing practiced by dimbulbs, it ruins lives and causes people to shoot up abortion clinics and become terrorists. I believe it is counterproductive to confuse fundamentalism with fanaticism. You can find fanatics, as well as slackers, in almost every walk of life.
Although their exposition is interesting and informative, it suffers from excessive negativity. They set forth the four characteristic attitudes of Fundamentalists as fear, suspicion, anger, and separatism. In my experience of Fundamentalism and Fundamentalists, they are for the most part no more fearful, suspicious, or angry than any other group, and far less so than many. They are, however separatist, and Humphreys & Wise correctly see this as one of Fundamentalism's greatest flaws.
Separatist is by definition exclusionary, but the Nicene Creed is a broad umbrella beneath which many different expressions of Christian faith should be able to coexist. We should not exclude others from Christian fellowship because they do not necessarily pass the litmus test of our denominational expression of faith. On page 96 Humphreys & Wise list eleven "fundamentals" upon which they believe all Christians everywhere should be able to agree.
Humphreys & Wise, as Baptists, are deeply disappointed by the recent drift of the Southern Baptist Convention toward Fundamentalism, and seek to demonstrate that historically the SBC has not been receptive to Fundamentalism. They should take heart. Assuming for the sake of argument that the uppermost echelons of the SBC may be thoroughgoing Fundamentalists, they are not necessarily representative of the rank and file membership of SBC churches. Some denominations are very hierarchical organizations run from the top down. The SBC is a bottom-up voluntary association of independent churches. And those independent churches usually consist of congregations which are also fiercely independent. I suspect that a poll of the rank and file membership of the SBC would reveal that the majority consider themselves Evangelical rather than Fundamentalist. Contrary to a quote from Humphreys' & Wises' book, an Evangelical is not simply a Fundamentalist with good manners.
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