Is Fundamentalism Merely A Belief In
"The Five Fundamentals"?
David W. Cloud
[The following material is from O Timothy magazine, Volume 12, Issue 5, 1995.
Permission is given for free distribution of this material, but not for resale. All rights
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Introduction
1. That Historic Fundamentalism Was More Than The Affirmation Of "The Five
Fundamentals" Is Admitted By Its Historians
2. That Historic Fundamentalism Was More Than The Affirmation Of "The Five
Fundamentals" Is Proven By The Fact Of New Evangelicalism
3. That Historic Fundamentalism Was More Than The Affirmation Of "The Five
Fundamentals" Is Acknowledged By Historic Fundamentalist Organizations And
Publications
Some have concocted a position that Fundamentalism historically was not militant or
separatist, but was merely a belief in "the five fundamentals." That this is a
serious perversion of history is clear from the following facts.
We must note at the outset of these considerations that Fundamentalism has never been a
monolithic movement. It has never had one definition only. It has taken many different
forms. There have always been those who have worn the Fundamentalist label who have shied
away from the heat of the battle, who have refused to obey the Word of God and separate
from error. Describing Fundamentalism is like the ant describing the elephant; one's
description depends somewhat upon one's perspective. Even so, to claim that Fundamentalism
was NOT characterized by militancy for truth, to claim that fighting and separating have
NOT been a significant aspect of historic Fundamentalism, is to fly in the face of
history. It is this gross error that we set out to disprove.
1. That Historic Fundamentalism Was More Than The Affirmation Of "The Five
Fundamentals" Is Admitted By Its Historians.
George Marsden gives this overview: "By the 1930s, then it became painfully clear
that reform from within could not prevent the spread of modernism in major northern
denominations, more and more fundamentalists began to make separation from America's major
denominations an article of faith. Although most who supported fundamentalism in the 1920s
still remained in their denominations, many Baptist dispensationalists and a few
influential Presbyterians were demanding separatism" (Marsden, Reforming
Fundamentalism: Fuller Seminary and the New Evangelicalism, Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1987,
p. 7).
George Dollar, one of the few historians of the Fundamentalist movement to write from
the standpoint of a genuine Fundamentalist, gives this definition: "Historic
fundamentalism is the literal interpretation of all the affirmations and attitudes of the
Bible and the militant exposure of all non-biblical affirmations and attitudes"
(Dollar, A History of Fundamentalism in America, 1973).
Dollar divides Fundamentalism into three periods. From 1875-1900 conservative leaders
raised the banner against Modernism within the denominations. From 1900-1935 these
struggles resulted in men leaving their denominations to form separate churches and
groups. "They were the architects of ecclesiastical separation." From 1935-1983
the second generation Fundamentalists continued the battle from outside of the mainline
denominations and also had the New Evangelical movement to contend with. It is plain that
this historian, who has given a significant portion of his life to the examination of
these matters, identifies historic Fundamentalism with earnest militancy and biblical
separation.
David O. Beale, who has written one of the most thorough histories of Fundamentalism
from a Fundamentalist perspective in print, gives this definition: "The essence of
Fundamentalism ... is the unqualified acceptance of and obedience to the Scriptures. ...
The present study reveals that pre-1930 Fundamentalism was nonconformist, while post-1930
Fundamentalism has been separatist" (Beale, In Pursuit of Purity: American
Fundamentalism Since 1850, Bob Jones University Press, 1986, p. 5).
I give one more illustration of the definition given to Fundamentalism by its
historians. Again we use a Fundamentalist author. John Ashbrook has deep roots in the
Fundamentalist movement. His father, William, was brought to trial by the Presbyterian
denomination because of his stand against Modernism. After his separation from
Presbyterianism, William Ashbrook established an independent Fundamentalist church. He
wrote one of the most incisive books on New Evangelicalism entitled Evangelicalism: The
New Neutralism. The first edition of this work appeared in 1958. His son, John, after a
period of toying with New Evangelicalism as a young man, became a solid Fundamentalist
leader in his own right. His book New Neutralism II: Exposing the Gray of Compromise is,
in this author's opinion, the best book in print on the subject of New Evangelicalism. In
looking back over the Fundamentalist movement since the 1930s, how does John Ashbrook
define Fundamentalism? Fundamentalism is the militant belief and proclamation of the basic
doctrines of Christianity leading to a Scriptural separation from those who reject them
(Ashbrook, Axioms of Separation, nd., p. 10).
Those today who deny the militancy and separation of historic Fundamentalism are trying
to rewrite history. Instead of admitting that they are NOT old-line Fundamentalists, that
indeed they have repudiated biblical Fundamentalism, have compromised the Word of God and
adopted New Evangelicalism, these revisionists are trying to redefine Fundamentalism to
fit their backslidden condition.
2. That Historic Fundamentalism Was More Than The Affirmation Of "The Five
Fundamentals" Is Proven By The Fact Of New Evangelicalism.
If it were true that historical Fundamentalism was a mere exaltation of "the five
fundamentals," the New Evangelical movement of the 1940s would have made no sense at
all. New Evangelicalism has always held to "the five fundamentals." In fact, as
we have seen, one of the fathers of New Evangelicalism has noted that there at least
several dozen fundamentals! The keynote of New Evangelicalism was the repudiation of the
separatism and other negative aspects of old-line Fundamentalism.
In his history of Fuller Theological Seminary, Reforming Fundamentalism, historian
George M. Marsden makes it plain that Fuller's early leaders were consciously rejecting
the negative aspects of old-line Fundamentalism. The title of Marsden's book itself is
evidence of the militant character of historic Fundamentalism. It is clear to honest
historians that the Fundamentalism fifty years ago was characterized by MILITANCY, by a
willingness to deal with the NEGATIVES, and by SEPARATION, and it was this fact that
brought about the New Evangelical movement.
Marion Reynolds, director of the Fundamental Evangelistic Association in Los
Osos,
California, has a rich heritage in the Fundamentalist movement. His father was an early
Fundamentalist leader and Marion himself has been in the forefront of Fundamentalism for
at least forty years. This man knows the true history of American Fundamentalism inside
out. In replying to the charge by Jack Van Impe that today's Fundamentalist leaders have
left their heritage and that Fundamentalism of old was not a militant confrontation with
error but more a positive affirmation of the doctrinal heart of Christianity, Reynolds
gives the following overview of Fundamentalism's history:
"(1) The first generation fundamentalists were battling unbelief in their own
denominations BEFORE the liberals had gained control. Separation from disobedient brethren
was not the issue as it was later to become. (2) Along with the love and appreciation the
first generation fundamentalists showed to each other as they stood shoulder-to-shoulder
against a common foe, there were plenty of tears, heartaches, trials, misunderstandings
and disappointments as some fundamentantalists weakened in the heat of the conflict and
opted for `more love' rather than continued confrontation. First generation
fundamentalists fought a valiant battle but they did not labor in the `ideal situation'
which Dr. Van Impe imagines it to be. (3) After some 30 years of the historic struggle
between first generation fundamentalists and liberalism within the denominations, true
fundamentalists, recognizing that the liberals could not be removed, obeyed the command of
the Lord to `come out and be separate' (2 Cor. 6:14-18). As a result, new churches and
denominations were established and fundamentalism was used of God to preserve the purity
of the Word and the Gospel. (4) It was in the early 1940's that a further separation
occurred and the evangelical movement was born. It was at the time that the very same
spirit and attitude now being advocated by Dr. Van Impe was the moving force in the
launching of the evangelical movement. From that time forward the continuing battle
between fundamentalism and liberalism has been complicated by this third movement,
evangelicalism, which took an in- between, compromised position. Claiming to hold to
the fundamentalist position doctrinally, evangelicalism advocated a `more positive
position' and a `broader fellowship.' A major issue then, as it is today, revolves around
the question of how to treat brothers who walk disorderly and whether or not it
constitutes `disorderliness' for a brother to remain in fellowship with those who deny the
Fundamentals of the Faith. True fundamentalists believe that all brethren who fellowship
with false teachers are definitely disobedient and are walking disorderly. Therefore, the
command to separate from such disobedient brethren is no less important to obey than God's
command to separate from false teachers" (M.H. Reynolds, Jr., "Heart Disease in
Christ's Body: Fundamentalism ... Is It Sidetracked?" Los Osos: Fundamental
Evangelistic Assocation, nd.).
3. That Historic Fundamentalism Was More Than The Affirmation Of "The Five
Fundamentals" Is Acknowledged By Historic Fundamentalist Organizations And
Publications.
Consider The Fundamentalist, published by J. Frank Norris, a powerful Fundamental
Baptist leader of Texas. Independent Baptist historian George Dollar describes Norris's
The Fundamentalist in this way: "The Fundamentalist alarmed and alerted ... Reading
the 1920-1930 back issues of The Fundamentalist, one can almost see the smoke and hear the
battle cries of those times" (Dollar, The Fight for Fundamentalism, published by the
author, 1983, p. 3).
Norris's paper is representative of that entire generation of Fundamentalism in that it
was a generation noted for its bold militancy for the truth.
An accurate definition of Fundamentalism was given by the World Congress of
Fundamentalists, which met in 1976 in Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland:
- A Fundamentalist is a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ who--
- Maintains an immovable allegiance to the inerrant, infallible, and verbally inspired
Bible.
- Believes that whatever the Bible says is so.
- Judges all things by the Bible and is judged only by the Bible.
- Affirms the foundational truths of the historic Christian Faith: The doctrine of the
Trinity; the incarnation, virgin birth, substitutionary atonement, bodily resurrection and
glorious ascension, and Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ; the new birth through
regeneration by the Holy Spirit; the resurrection of the saints to life eternal; the
resurrection of the ungodly to final judgment and eternal death; the fellowship of the
saints, who are the body of Christ.
- Practices fidelity to that Faith and endeavors to preach it to every creature.
- Exposes and separates from all ecclesiastical denial of that Faith, compromise with
error, and apostasy from the Truth.
- Earnestly contends for the Faith once delivered.
The World Congress of Fundamentalists summarized their definition in this way:
"Fundamentalism
is militant orthodoxy set on fire with soulwinning zeal."
As we noted at the beginning of this study, many varying definitions of Fundamentalism
have been given through the years, and the truth of the matter is that Fundamentalism has
taken a great variety of forms. As a movement it has been largely interdenominational, yet
many independent, separatist churches, such as independent Baptists and independent Bible
churches, have accepted the label. Regardless of this variety, though, one of the chief
hallmarks of Fundamentalism--its very essence, if you will--has always been a MILITANCY
for the Faith of the Word of God. Anyone who is not truly militant in standing for the
Truth has no title to biblical Fundamentalism.
We close with the words of G. Archer Weniger, who showed the fallicy of the view that
Fundamentalism is merely a concern for "the five fundamentals"--
"The five fundamentals have only to do with the Presbyterian aspect of the
struggle with modernism. ... The bulk of Fundamentalism, especially the Baptists of every
stripe who composed the majority by far, never accepted the five fundamentals alone. The
World's Christian Fundamentals Association, founded in 1919, had at least a dozen main
doctrines highlighted. The same was true of the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship, which
originated in 1920. A true Fundamentalist would under no circumstances restrict his
doctrinal position to five fundamentals. Even Dr. Carl F.H.
Henry, a New Evangelical theologian, listed at least several dozen doctrines essential
to the Faith. The only advantage of reducing the Faith down to five is to make possible a
wider inclusion of religionists, who might be way off in heresy on other specific
doctrines. It is much easier to have large numbers of adherents with the lowest common
denominator in doctrine" (G. Archer Weniger, quoted in Calvary Contender, April 15,
1994).
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