Originally posted by R. Scott Clark
It depends on how one uses the word. Historically as Matt and Bruce have noted, it denotes certain theological positions, sociologically, as others have noted, it denotes certain attitutdes (e.g., reductionism). Psychologically, as others have noted it denotes a certain fearfulness of others.
To the latter, I would add "the quest for illegitimate religious certainty" or QIRC.
I find that fundamentalists defined sociologically and psychologically are often marked by a need for certainty. The interest isn't in truth as much as it is in being "right." There is a difference. One's faith and certainty therein often comes to be defined by being "right." In our movement it frequently manifests itself by the identity of one's view with one's mind with the God's intellect/understanding.
These characteristics do not fit every fundamentalist, but I have found that they do describe significant sectors of the movement and they are found across denominational and confessional boundaries.
The Reformed confessional movement is profoundly influenced by both QIRC and QIRE (the quest for illegitimate religious experience; i.e., the search for emotional bliss and
immediate existential encounter with God).
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