So what is a fundamentalist?

Fundamentalism is a historical movement, just like other movements one can study in a history textbook. As such, it has people, institutions, events, and documents that have been identified and cataloged by researchers.

You cannot accurately define a "fundamentalist" by analyzing the word. Instead, you have to look at what happened.

The term was coined in the '20s to refer to those who were willing to do "battle royal" for the fundamentals. It distinguished them from other Christians who believed the fundamentals, but weren't willing to fight for them in their denominations, schools, and mission boards.

Eventually the Fundamentalist movement separated from the compromising denominations and formed new institutions. But there arose within the movement some who developed a new mindset. They called themselves the New Evangelicals and announced their departure from the old Fundamentalist movement in three specific areas: (1) more emphasis on education (2) a new emphasis on social action, and (3) a strategy of infiltration rather than separation.

Today I would consider the movement to be so fragmented as to cease being a movement any longer. If I am correct, I think that the closest definition of a Fundamentalist in the 21st century would be someone who identifies with the movement's earlier militant and separatist emphases. That leaves out most evangelicals and, it seems, a fair chunk of those who today call themselves "the young fundamentalists."

 

Pipedude,

That is a pretty good summation indeed. More than anything I guess it is more a philosophical position- a 'mindset', as you noted - than a hard and fast "definition".

 

That's the first quick and simple definition I've seen that made sense to me in context of what I always understood to be fundamentalist (the militant separatist types, ie the 60s through circa 80s era), what I've recently learned to know is "historical" fundamentalism, and now the "young fundamentalists". Thanks for such a concise explanation! I know there's more nuance to it all, but this clarifies for a mere layperson

 

Haven't been here in a while, so I doubt I'm familiar to any of you.
I run a team blog of young fundamentalists. It is called Fundamentally Changed
Would be glad for you folks to come by and add to our discussions. We're just getting it going, and are open to suggestions. If you have one, please leave it in the comments.


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Interesting site.