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Originally Posted by Jerusalem Blade  There are Reformed churches one could easily describe as “fundamentalist” – the Protestant Reformed Church, for example. So what is a working definition of fundamentalism for this thread?
Is it “strict separation from the world”, seeing a profound antithesis between the two? Is it adhering to the fundamentals of the Faith, of orthodox (small o) Christianity? Or is one talking of the stereotypes of ignorant backwoods Bible-thumping believers? |
I hope I don't mischaracterize our fundamentalist brethren, but what I have in mind when I think of fundamentalism is the way of looking at the scriptures that leads a person to a strict separation from the world. Its a mindset that looks at verses such as these...
Eph 2:1-3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
...and concludes that basically everything you did before you were saved was according to the prince of the power of the air (ie., Satan), so after you're saved you stay away from it all. I don't think I've ever heard a fundamentalist preacher state this, but perhaps a good fundamentalist rule of thumb is "If its fun/enjoyable, don't do it"