CONFESSIONS OF A FUNDAMENTALIST
By Aaron Dunlop
Tentmaker Publications. 110 pages, £7.99
ISBN 978 1 911 005 070
This book describes the author’s experience growing up in a Free Presbyterian church in Northern Ireland and other churches in north America.
He provides a brief history of the development of Fundamentalist churches together with key people (such as Ian Paisley) whom he knew personally. Most of the book provides an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of Fundamentalism. Its main strength is its insistence on the authority of Scripture.
Contend for the faith
Dunlop says that Fundamentalism was a response to the theological liberalism in many Bible colleges in the 1920s and therefore it tended to reject scholarship and theological training. This formed a ‘war psychology’ where certain men had an overwhelming sense of their divine destiny to ‘contend for the faith’. However, their failure to stay connected with historical creeds (with a ‘Bible only’ mentality) led this movement into hyper-separation and criticism. There was no fair methodology to regulate excesses and strong personalities ruled the day.
Their evangelism became shallow and worldliness was defined in such narrow terms that holiness became legalistic whilst other dangers were missed. In sum, the movement had a profound inability to deal with difference. Whilst Christian love has opinions, it is not opinionated; whilst it judges, it is not judgmental and accepts diversity with patience. Interestingly the author turns the tables on 2 Thessalonians 3.6 to suggest that the hyper-separatist is the one walking disorderly!
As someone who grew up amongst churches of a similar mindset in England, I found it fascinating and could sadly identify with a lot of his points. It’s a quick and easy read and if you want to understand more about these kinds of churches you will find it very helpful.
