The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism
January 22, 2013 marks the 100th anniversary of Carl F. H. Henry’s birth. Henry, who lived from 1913 to 2003, is known by many as the founding editor of Christianity Today, though many of his other works go unread by many evangelicals. In his six-volume magnum opus God, Revelation and Authority, Henry valiantly defended the doctrine of biblical inerrancy against textual critics and liberal theologians. Yet Carl Henry was not simply a...
Theological Triage
Discrediting Christianity is not too difficult these days: “Why work too hard or get our hands too dirty, when applying the labels Fundamentalist and Evangelical will do the trick of sending those pesky Christians back to the hills where they belong,” some think. These are the tactics of many media outlets. There is no denying that the Church is at odds with the things of this world. Though the world despises the Gospel, Christians...
What Is Worldliness?
“Don’t drink, don’t smoke; don’t cuss, don’t chew; don’t go with girls who do.” This humorous mantra is not so foreign to the ears of some conservative Christians. While its origin is unknown, it is often attributed to fundamentalist preachers of the mid-late twentieth century. The aim of this saying was to combat the problem of worldliness. Nearly everyone reared in a religious setting has encountered some mode of engagement with the...
America’s Founding and Christianity (Part II): Fundamentalism, Neo-evangelicalism, and Today
In last week’s essay, I explored the Protestant Reformation’s impact upon America’s founding. Articulating his two-kingdoms doctrine, Martin Luther paved the way for religious liberty, or the separation of church and state. The Puritans paved the way for constitutionalism, democracy, limited government, rule of law, and the separation of powers. In this essay, I will examine why some still question Christianity’s role in America’s...
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