What exactly are the fundamentals of Fundamentalist?
Fundamental is the root word for Fundamentalist and Fundamentalism. However, Fundamental generally means pertaining to the foundation or basics of something; or pertaining to the original or primary source.
Now all Fundamentalists claim to be Christian (at least here on Y!A), and most (or in my case; all that I have come across) claim to be Bible Fundamentalists. Though many of them have very little knowledge or understanding what the First Christians taught or even the origin of the Bible. A good deal of them seem to express that God gave the Bible directly from heaven, or even think that the Bible was originally written in English.
So as a Fundamentalist, wouldn't the priority be to research all of the writings of the Early Christians e.g., St. Ignatius Of Antioch, Saint Athanasius, Saint Augustine, Saint Cyprian, &c., as that would be going back to the fundamentals of Christianity?
If not, what exactly becomes the original source of faith and doctrine for Fundamentalists?
Since all seem to agree with the Protestant doctrines such as certain doctrines of Martin Luther, Calvin, &c., wouldn't their fundamentals only go as far back as the the 16th century? (This is logically looking at it).
2012-07-07T18:18:05Z
I understand what most of you are saying, but, how can a Fundamentalist consider themselves to be a Christian, when they don't even follow the actual fundamentals of the Christian Doctrine?
Fundamentalism, is as PaulCyp correctly explains, a very new concept which only dates back to the 20th century.
The Bible was not completed until the 5th century and Christianity pre-dates the Bible. So some claim to have their origin of fundamentals with the Bible, which is easily misinterpreted, and follow doctrines contrary to the Christian doctrine. How can they consider themselves Christians?
If anything, since they really wish to be considered Christians so badly, shouldn't they call themselves something along the lines of neo-christians or even psudo-christians as they do not follow the fundamentals of Apostolic Christianity? (i.e., the first Generation of Christians e.g., Catholicism, Assyrian Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Greek Orthodox)
What I am trying to figure out, Fundamenta
2012-07-07T18:18:38Z
What I am trying to figure out, Fundamentalist follow the fundamentals of just what exactly?
PaulCyp2012-07-07T17:04:42Z
Favorite Answer
Fundamentalism is a lot newer than mainline Protestantism. The name derives from a series of 12 paperback books called "The Fundamentals", written between 1909 and 1915 by Milton and Lyman Stewart, in which they laid out in detail the principles of fundamentalism formulated at the Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey by Warfield, Hodge, and their associates.
1) So as a Fundamentalist, wouldn't the priority be to research all of the writings of the Early Christians e.g., St. Ignatius Of Antioch, Saint Athanasius, Saint Augustine, Saint Cyprian, &c., as that would be going back to the fundamentals of Christianity?
No. Christian Fundamentalism (supposedly) refers to the religious practices and beliefs of the Biblical Christians - not of the later (some of them very much later) Christians that you mention.
That is not to say that a study of those early Christians would be worthless! However, Christian Fundamentalism - at least in theory - attempts to duplicate the religious practices and beliefs of the Biblical Christians and not the religious practices and beliefs of ANY later Christians.
2) If not, what exactly becomes the original source of faith and doctrine for Fundamentalists?
As you can see from what I wrote above, the Bible itself. Naturally, some of the doctrines of later Christianity (such as what documents to include in the Bible!) have been adopted by Fundamentalist Christians, usually because no clear and certain information about that particular religious topic is provided in the Bible itself. Nevertheless: the point of Fundamentalist Christianity is that the Bible is the most authoritative document concerning authentic Christian doctrine and that the practices and beliefs of those earliest Christians are the closest to the practices and beliefs taught by Jesus himself. They are - in other words - the Fundamental practices and beliefs of Christianity, supposedly or at least potentially without any of the questionable "added on" doctrines first mentioned only many decades or centuries later.
3) Since all seem to agree with the Protestant doctrines such as certain doctrines of Martin Luther, Calvin, &c., wouldn't their fundamentals only go as far back as the the 16th century? (This is logically looking at it).
Do not get confused by the Poes and Trolls that pretend to be fundamentalists in order to give Christianity a bad name. Anyone can call themselves a Christian, but fundamentally it is only he who obeys or follows Christ that is a Christian. The term Fundy is a divisive word. It is used as a slur by those who wish to divide Christians against each other. It is less important whether a person identifies as being a fundamentalist and more important whether or not he is actually a Christian. Another way of viewing fundamentalism is keeping it simple. It is avoiding the trappings of long winded books and sticking with the basic one book. The greatest commandment is to love God with all your might, all your heart, and all your soul. The true Christian fundamentalist starts with that and builds a personal relationship with God by reading God's word, praying earnestly, and learning to discern between the opinion of man and the true word of God.
In the 19th century somebody came up with the description for fundamentalists. Sorry, I can't remember who it was or what he said. But I think the name fundamentalist is a misnomer. If something is fundamental, as you said, it has to be the basics. So really, fundamentalist Christians should mean those who believe in the Trinity, Jesus as God and the sacrifice He made for us, Virgin BIrth, Resurrection, Coming Again. There's a couple other things but I'm tired and don't have all my wits about me. But those are the basics and other ideas are philosophy, which is fine, but is not fundamental.
The term has been coined colloquially. every person is extensively used with what it ability even although strictly speaking there is not such a undertaking as a 'fundamentalist atheist' as a 'elementary Protestant'. . yet the two do share something in elementary: a million. Intolerance for those ideals or viewpoints that diverge from theirs. 2. physique of concepts of supreiority and/or judgmentalism. 3. a tendency to parse words or narrowly define words or innovations 4. A comprehend-it-all physique of concepts; they could particularly die than admit they could be incorrect 5. A bitter and hateful physique of concepts in direction of non-'believers'.