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The Fundamentalist-Modernist Conflict

The Fundamentalist-Modernist Conflict. The Rise of The Culture Wars. Christian America. Great Awakenings: Development of national consciousness Idea that God had chosen America for purpose Development of Evangelicalism as movement stressing personal religious experience. Coming of Modernism.

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The Fundamentalist-Modernist Conflict

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  1. The Fundamentalist-Modernist Conflict The Rise of The Culture Wars

  2. Christian America • Great Awakenings: • Development of national consciousness • Idea that God had chosen America for purpose • Development of Evangelicalism as movement stressing personal religious experience

  3. Coming of Modernism • Charles Darwin (1809-82) • Origin of Species (1859) • Descent of Man (1871) • Theory of Evolution challenged biblical account of creation • Biblical Higher Criticism • Documentary theories • Search for the Historical Jesus • Denied divine inspiration of Scripture

  4. Liberal Christianity • Bible is human book • Optimism about humanity • God works through human institutions • Focus on Christ as human example of God-consciousness • Denial of miracles & supernatural, including virgin birth & resurrection • Denial of atonement; preferred moral influence theory • Emphasis on this life & social gospel not evangelism • Rational theology; non-exclusive faith; tolerance • Truth evolves; Christian doctrine is developmental

  5. Liberal Christianity “A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross” H. Richard Niebuhr

  6. Fundamentalism • Conservative reaction: Fundamentalism • 1920, Curtis Lee Laws, editor of Watchman Examiner coined term “fundamentalists” • Five Fundamentals: • Verbal inspiration of Scripture • Virgin birth & deity of Christ • Substitutionary atonement of Christ • Bodily resurrection of Christ • Physical, imminent return of Christ

  7. Fundamentalism • General characteristics • Inerrancy • Dispensational Premillenialism • John Nelson Darby (1800-82) • Cyrus Scofield (1843-1921) & Scofield Bible • Separatism • Bob Jones (1883-1968) • Carl McIntire (1906-2002) • Cross-denominational • Especially Presbyterians & Baptists

  8. Presbyterians • “Princeton Theology” • Calvinism; Infallibility of Scripture; Scottish Philosophy of Common Sense • Charles Hodge (1797-1878); A.A. Hodge (1823-86); B.B. Warfield (1851-1921) • John Gresham Machen (1881-1937) • Left Princeton due to growing liberalism • Formed Westminster Theological Seminary (1929); Orthodox Presbyterian Church (1936) • Split: Presbyterian Church USA & Presbyterian Church in America

  9. Northern Baptists • William Bell Riley (1861-1947): pastor of FBC, Minneapolis; founder of Northwestern College • 1922 Convention, proposed adoption of New Hampshire Confession • Liberals countered with New Testament as “all-sufficient ground of our faith & practice”

  10. Southern Baptists • J. Frank Norris (1877-1952): pastor of FBC, Fort Worth, & Temple Baptist, Detroit – simultaneously! • Flamboyant preacher & moral crusader against liberalism, Catholicism, communism, evolution • Kicked out of BGCT & SBC; organized World Missionary Baptist Fellowship; Fundamental Baptist Bible Institute (now Arlington Bible College) • Accused of arson (twice) & murder; but acquitted • “Ten Biggest Devils in Fort Worth – Names Named!”

  11. Southern Baptists • Edgar Young Mullins (1860-1928): 4th President of Southern Seminary • In response to threats of liberalism & accusations by Norris, Mullins sponsored & edited Baptist Faith & Message (1925)

  12. Scopes Monkey Trial • Theory of Evolution became flashpoint for Fundamentalist-Modernist debate • Laws against teaching it were passed in several states, including Tennessee • ACLU convinced John Scopes, biology teacher in Dayton, to test the law

  13. Scopes Monkey Trial • ACLU hired Clarence Darrow for defense • Prosecution led by William Jennings Bryan • Dubbed “Trial of Century” & broadcast on radio

  14. Scopes Monkey Trial • In a surprise move, Darrow called Bryan to testify; Bryan agreed: “I am simply trying to protect the Word of God against the greatest atheist or agnostic in the U.S.” • Darrow: “We have the purpose of preventing bigots & ignoramuses from controlling the education of the U.S.”

  15. Scopes Monkey Trial • Darrow pressed Bryan on date of Flood: “What do you think that the Bible says?” • Bryan: “I never made a calculation” • Darrow: “What do you think?” • Bryan: “I do not think about things I don’t think about” • Darrow: “Do you think about things you do think about?” • Bryan: “Well, sometimes”

  16. Scopes Monkey Trial • Bryan: “Your Honor, I think I can shorten this testimony. The only purpose Mr. Darrow has is to slur at the Bible!” • Darrow: “I object to that! I am examining you on your fool ideas that no intelligent Christian on earth believes!”

  17. Scopes Monkey Trial • Jury found Scopes guilty of violating Tennessee law & fined him $100 • Decision was reversed on technicality • Story made into movie: Inherit the Wind

  18. Aftermath of Scopes Trial • Fundamentalism was dismissed as rural, narrow-minded, backward, anti-intellectual • Northern Presbyterians & Baptists lost their denominations to liberals • Liberal reaction to demise of fundamentalism: • “Event now passed;” dysfunctional mutation away from main line of religious evolution • If not dead, it was no longer force in American thought & culture • Relegated to “mean streets” of America, “everywhere that learning is too heavy a burden” • It no longer appealed to “best brains & good sense of modern community”

  19. Aftermath of Scopes Trial • Fundamentalists regrouped: • Bible colleges • Mission organizations • Radio • Publications • Powerful pastors with large congregations • Liberal, mainline denominations declined as their theology has declined • “It’s difficult for church to survive if there’s nothing that makes church distinct from culture”

  20. Neo-Evangelicalism • 1943, National Association of Evangelicals founded: “kinder, gentler” fundamentalism • Leaders: Harold Ockenga, pastor of Park Street Church in Boston, later president of Fuller Seminary • Charles Fuller of Old Fashioned Revival Hour • Carl F.H. Henry, 1st editor of Christianity Today • Billy Graham

  21. Religious Right • Jerry Falwell & Moral Majority, involved in election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 • Pat Robertson, founder of 700 Club, presidential candidate in 1988 • James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, involved in Culture Wars • Abortion • Homosexual rights

  22. American Evangelicalism • Influence in media • Christian Contemporary Music – $1B per year • The Passion of the Christ (2004) - $600M • Left Behind Series – over 60M in sales

  23. American Evangelicalism • Power in politics • Connected to election of Republican candidates since 1980

  24. American Evangelicalism

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