Tag Archives: Fundamentalism

Fundamentalism and the Hermeneutics of Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism

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Introduction Fundamentalism has never embraced one uniform system of theology. My purpose here is to provide an overview and comparison of Covenant Theology (henceforth, CT) and Dispensational Theology (henceforth, DT) used by many fundamentalists throughout its history. While some fundamentalists today attempt to eschew any (rigid) theological system, in actuality everyone uses some type of grid (a set of suppositions) to interpret Biblical passages. Often the difference between those who embrace established theological systems and those who do not is that the latter do not realize they are using such a grid and have not thought through the Bible in a systematic way.

Sound Exegesis— Sound Living

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Shaky Exegesis— Shaky Living During the earthquake of modernism that shook and collapsed the orthodoxy of many churches and denominations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, another earthquake was also taking place off the shores of Christianity—the birth of modern secular psychology. This earthquake happened along similar fault lines as the earthquake of theological modernism. Its upheaval ultimately resulted in a tsunami—Christian integrationist psychology—that not only swept over many evangelical churches and parachurch organizations, but also swept into fundamentalism.

The Baptist Fundamentals (1920/1921) and Hermeneutics

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In 1920 Curtis Lee Laws proposed that those who cling to and earnestly contend for “the great fundamentals” of the Christian faith be called “fundamentalists.”1 For twenty-five years, Laws served as the editor of the Watchman Examiner, a Baptist publication. The most commonly cited list of the “fundamentals of the faith,” however, is the Five Point Deliverance (1901) used in the fundamentalist-modernist debates within the Presbyterian denomination.2 Yet in June of 1920, conservatives within the Northern Baptist Convention hosted a “Pre-convention Conference on Fundamentals of Our Baptist Faith” in Buffalo, New York, that resulted in a volume entitled Baptist Fundamentals (Judson Press, 1920).

The Task of Exegesis

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One of the hallmarks of The Fundamentals1 was its high view of Scripture. This emphasis resulted naturally from the historical challenges posed by modernism.2 With its historical skepticism, Modernism questioned not only the authorship and dates of biblical books, but also denied the supernatural content that is recorded in those books. As a result, The Fundamentals sought to defend the accuracy and authority of the Bible from its detractors. As one peruses the table of contents of The Fundamentals, one sees a number of articles that relate directly to a high view of Scripture and its authenticity.

Lessons from the Reformation for Biblical Fundamentalists

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Fundamentalists today face the challenge of wanting to reach more people but still guard the purity of their churches. In this article Dr. Ken Rathbun, a graduate of Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary and the academic dean of Fairview Baptist Bible College in Jamaica, gives us insights on this matter from the Reformation period. In his second article he applies the lessons from the Reformation to contemporary fundamentalism. One of the ironies of the Reformation is that though the Reformers had separated from the Roman Catholic Church, the Reformers attacked other groups of the time for separating from them.

Faith Baptist Theological Seminary: Celebrating 25 Years of God’s Blessing

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In 2011 Faith Baptist Theological Seminary celebrated its 25th anniversary. From its modest beginning in 1986 FBTS has become a leader among fundamental Baptist seminaries. This article recounts the early history of FBTS and examines what distinguishes it from other seminaries. 2011 also marks the 25th anniversary of the publication of the Faith Pulpit. This edition of Faith Pulpit (number 230) gives a comprehensive index of the past 25 years of publication. The roots of Faith Baptist Theological Seminary go back to 1962 when the college, then known as Omaha Baptist Bible College, added a five-year Bachelor of Theology program to the standard four-year program.

Let the Church Be the Church!

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If the church is not the church as God intends her to be, no amount of success or popularity will fill the hungry soul. It is time to let the church be the church. So writes Dr. Rick Shrader, pastor of Metro Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. In this article Dr. Shrader helps us answer our critics and challenges us to maintain purity and holiness in our churches. Fundamentalists have often been called legalists. The problem today is that the word “legalist” has been used so often to mean anyone who has rules of conduct that this has become its accepted meaning.1 But just because someone has said something repeatedly does not make it truthful.

Keeping Institutions True

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Keeping Fundamental Baptist institutions true to their original purpose and position demands constant vigilance. In view of the transition of the academic leadership at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary (see announcement on page 4), we present this article by Dr. Robert Delnay, the founding dean of Faith Baptist Theological Seminary. This article expresses Faith’s continuing commitment to its historic Fundamental Baptist position. As fellowships of churches get on toward middle age, certain patterns keep repeating. One pattern is that nothing stays fixed.

Definition and Direction Statement, Part 3

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Adopted by the Board of Directors—September 15, 2006 FBBC&TS exists as a Fundamentalist Baptist institution of Christian higher education to disciple vocational Christian workers and leaders. Faith stands committed to pressing the claims of Christ upon our students. We want our students to consider vocational Christian service, and we view such a calling as a sacred trust and a high honor. Annually, members of the Board of Directors, the administration, the faculty, and the staff reaffirm their support for the school’s objective, as mentioned in the “Historic Position Statement,” to train men and women for leadership roles in Christian service within fundamentalism.

Definition and Direction Statement, Part 2

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FBBC&TS Exists as a Baptist institution of Christian Higher Education. As a Baptist institution, we believe in the primacy of Scripture over creeds and the formulations of councils. We consider the New Testament, especially the Epistles, to be foundational for faith and practice. We hold to the two ordinances: communion as a memorial of Christ’s death and believer’s baptism by single immersion as a public testimony to the truth of the gospel. We believe in the New Testament origin of the Church and so we distinguish between the Church and the nation of Israel.