Tag Archives: Fundamentalism

Christianity and Liberalism

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A century ago, a new, “modernist” liberal theology was infiltrating Protestant seminaries throughout the United States, transported primarily from Germany. J. Gresham Machen, an opponent of this new liberal theology, wrote a volume entitled Christianity and Liberalism in which he argued that historic Christianity and “modernist” theology were incompatible systems. To Bible-believing Christians like Machen, certain “fundamentals” were non-negotiable for authentic Christianity, such as the inspiration of Scripture, the deity and virgin birth of Jesus, the substitutionary atonement, the bodily resurrection of Jesus, and the literal Second Coming.

Three Perils of Fundamentalism’s Next Generation

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The twentieth century has closed, and the world has moved into a new era. With the passing of the 1900’s, Fundamentalism is at least one hundred years old. During this time, there has also been the passing of Fundamentalism’s first and second generations. There are few men, if any, who were alive at the formation of the movement, and there are decreasing numbers who saw the rise of New Evangelicalism and warned others of its dangers. For those who remain, their days of service and leadership are drawing to a close.

The Destiny of Those Who Die in Infancy

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Introduction In this paper an attempt will be made to show what the Bible teaches about the destiny of those who die in infancy. In order to accomplish this purpose, the major views on this subject will be presented followed by an examination of the biblical material. The Major Views Infants who die in infancy unbaptized do not go to heaven: In Roman Catholic theology there is no official dogma on the destiny of dead unbaptized infants. Nevertheless, the weight of tradition teaches that they go to a place called limbo, which is neither heaven nor hell, a place of natural happiness but without full communion with God.

Waving the Flag, Part II

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What is happening today is not new, and it is not isolated to only a few rare incidents. Let us note and learn from some examples from the past. Andover Seminary. Andover was started in 1807–1808 because a Unitarian had been appointed as professor of theology at Harvard. Every attempt was made to safeguard the new school’s orthodoxy. Yet within 75 years, the school’s faculty was promoting views way out of line with traditional orthodoxy, and during its 100th anniversary year—1908—it became identified with and moved back to the Harvard campus!

Waving the Flag, Part I

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It is instructive to study the history of institutions to see how they have broadened and moved away from the original vision of their founders. Such a study is important because this process is taking place in many organizations whose heritage is one thing but present reality is another. Many view this broadening as progress, but others who cherish the founding ideals with their parameters, are saddened. The founding statements of institutions such as Harvard (which speak of Christ as the foundation for learning and one reason for the institution’s founding being a “dreading an illiterate ministry”—that is, a fear that they would not have educationally qualified pastors to guide them—) when compared with the institutions today, demonstrate only too well just how far the broadening can go.

Customary Restraints

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“And whatsoever things are …lovely…of good report,…think on these things” (Phil. 4:8). “For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work” (2 Thess. 2:7). In Western culture an aspect that helps make life tolerable comes under the heading of manners. We live under a whole complex of accepted ways of doing things, of introducing people, of eating, of choosing clothes, and of carrying ourselves. All these are part of culture, and in the more limited sense of that word, all tend to limit and guide the cultured person.

Promise Keepers: A Fundamentalist Evaluation

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Introduction Contemporary American society is splintered into many one-issue organizations, groups composed of people who are diverse in their views on many subjects but who are united on one single issue. This method was so successfully used by the civil rights movement in the 1950s that soon Americans saw the rise of groups advocating women’s rights, gay rights, etc. As a reaction, certain conservative religious leaders formed their own one-issue groups. In the 1996 updated version of his book The Conservative IntellectuaI Movement in America Since 1945, George H.

What Became of Personal Separation?

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1 John 2:15–17 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the Iust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

Biblical Holiness

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Actually this article is a review of two books that deal with the issue of separation. For many years fundamentalists who wanted a balanced, written presentation of their viewpoint had access to many pamphlets but very few books. In 1979 Regular Baptist Press published Biblical Separation: The Struggle for a Pure Church by Dr. Ernest Pickering, and this book continues to be a leader in the field. In 1994, however, Bob Jones University Press published two new books which address this issue.

A Call for Separation

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A few months ago I was speaking to an individual who had participated in a “Jesus March.” He spoke of how wonderful it was to have been there at the march. He said one could feel the “moving” of the Spirit and the overwhelming sense of love that permeated the event. Jesus was the common bond between all of those present. Doctrine was not an issue. The greatest blessing was when a Roman Catholic priest stood and prayed for the marchers.