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Religious Fundamentalism Protestants Jews Muslims. Changes In Memberships. Mainline Churches Losing Members Methodists 11 million members in 1965 DOWN to 8 million in 2000. Religious revivals spur Holiness and Pentecostal movements Fundamentalist Churches Gaining Members
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Changes In Memberships • Mainline Churches Losing Members • Methodists 11 million members in 1965 DOWN to 8 million in 2000. • Religious revivals spur Holiness and Pentecostal movements • Fundamentalist Churches Gaining Members • Southern Baptists: 11 million members in 1965 UP to 16.4 million in 2003. • Why? • Rational choice? • Conversion v. Socialization • Migration • Escape from the hazards of “modernity”
What Is An Evangelical Christian? “A Protestant whose faith in Jesus Christ compels both an acceptance of Him ‘as Lord and Savior’ and a responsibility to share the ‘good news’ with others.” Primary Goal? Evangelize the world and convert the world to Christ Five Key Components: • The supreme authority of the Scripture • Jesus Christ as incarnate God (“Jesus only”) • The importance and relevance of The Holy Spirit • The requirement for personal conversion (“born again”) • The importance of the Christian witness Doctrinal Distinctives • Movement Membership • Religious Affiliation Bible True – Jesus Only – Witness – Born Again Fundamentalist – Charismatic/Pentecostal – Evangelical Evangelical Protestant – Mainline Protestant – Black – Roman Catholic
What Is A Fundamentalist Christian? “An Evangelical Christian who approaches the bible as the literal and authoritative words of God and not simply the inspired words of God.” Primary Goal? Live a pure life and create a pure society in which to do that more effectively. Five Key Characteristics: • Interpret the scriptures literally • No tolerance for religious diversity • Pursuit of a personal experience of God’s presence • Opposition to secular humanism • Endorsement of “conservative” political goals.
Fundamentalist Jews? Also Known As “The Haredim” Orthodox Jews (strict attention to the details of Jewish worship/ritual) Sectarian Haredic Jews (reject the Jewish trend towards a relationship between Jews and Gentiles in Israel and abroad) Extreme Ultra-Orthodox Jews (much more political – reject the Israeli peace process)
Fundamentalist Muslims? Prefer to be called “Islamicists” Fairly Little Influence Before The Creation Of Israel & The Six-Day War What Does Osama Bin Laden Hate? The “American Way Of Life” or Modernism/Globalism? Islamicists and Their Hatred Of Israel Is This A Religious War Or A Geopolitical One?