The Protestant right wing, including real, self-affirming Fundamentalists and many Charismatic and Pentecostal believers, operates within a theological framework drawn from 19th century Premillenial Dispensationalism. That movement was separatist to the point of congregational atomism, pessimistic about the ruin of the historic churches, and often given to new revelations and prophesies about the end times. Its signature doctrine has been “the rapture” of Christian believers, delivering them from apocalyptic violence, as portrayed in the “Left Behind” novels and films.
Fundamentalists may place themselves within the structure of the National Association of Evangelicals. But they are by no means the only Christians who identify with the evangelical tradition flowing from movements of spiritual awakening in the 18th and 19th centuries — the line of Jonathan Edwards and William Wilberforce.
Jerry Falwell, in The Fundamentalist Phenomenon, distinguished himself from the modern “Neo-Evangelical Movement” led by Billy Graham. Graham regarded himself as an evangelist whose gifts were at the disposal of the whole body of professing Christians, including mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics. But Falwell and other Fundamentalists focused their energies on separatist churches and denominations marked by legalistic codes of behavior and a fusion of the Gospel with political conservatism.
Reacting against “the Social Gospel” in the early 20th Century, Fundamentalists turned away from the efforts to reform society, which had characterized earlier Evangelicals, and simply sought to promote the faith and spiritual wellbeing of the laity. In the early 1970s, however, all Evangelicals were challenged by the theologian Francis Schaeffer to assume responsibility for a decaying Western culture.
A new post-Fundamentalist movement emerged with Falwell’s “Moral Majority.” Soon many conservative Protestants were aligning themselves with Roman Catholic leaders in protests against abortion, gay rights, and other social changes threatening sexual ethics and family values.
Now a new generation of younger, “emerging Evangelicals” has appeared that is more in line with the broad-church coalition formed around Billy Graham’s ministry. Some of these, like Rick Warren, have added environmental concerns to the family issues championed by “the religious right” (which involves both Protestant conservatives and some Catholic leaders). Other “progressive Evangelicals” have followed Ron Sider and Jim Wallis into a “completely pro-life” agenda, which includes much of the social justice teaching articulated by Catholics, mainline Protestants, and the Obama campaign.
At its most extreme, Protestant Fundamentalism would have been very troubling to Luther, who would recognize its legalistic enthusiasm as kin to the schismatic splinter-movements disfiguring the Reformation. Calvin, who said he would cross ten seas to help unify the fractured Protestant efforts, would also be alarmed by the lack of theological depth and balance in the religious right. Calvin and Edwards would detect a serious problem of spiritual pride, leading to “the Donatist heresy” — the belief that Christians should separate from others because of their weak faith or imperfect practice.
Certainly the religious right is made up of our fellow Christians. We should be open to learn from them where they have hold of elements of biblical truth and prophetic challenge. It is also true that there is a great deal of variety among Fundamentalists, Charismatics, and Pentecostals. Some leaders among these movements are “emerging progressives.” In any case, these believers need and deserve our prayers.
But Christians need to stand clear of Fundamentalist influences where they do not match up with biblical truth and orthodox faith. Fundamentalism does not reflect the balanced faith of the Reformers. Its partial and defective witness is stirring up responding critiques by a host of atheists. As the great Pietist Philipp Spener said to his decadent Lutheran opponents, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
Theological Fundamentalists are eager to project their influence into the realm of politics — helpfully on some issues. But the spectrum of their social concerns is much narrower than that of Wilberforce and the other Evangelicals of the Second Great Awakening.
To find that catholic impulse today, we must go to mainline Protestants, Roman Catholic social teaching, and progressive Evangelicals like Ron Sider, Jim Wallis, and Rick Warren. It is my contention that Edwards, Wilberforce, and Abram Kuyper would recognize these leaders as examples of true Evangelicalism.
If this analysis is correct, how does it apply to the situation in “mainline denominations” today?
The current scene in some churches is littered with depressed and fractured conservatives — “Evangelicals behaving badly,” in the phrase of one critic. Many are convinced that the larger churches are doomed to eventual theological collapse, the Dispensational heresy of “the ruin of the Church,” which Calvin condemned as Donatism.
There is a kind of plague of paranoia abroad that makes Christians unable to hear the elements of truth in the witness of fellow believers. From God’s perspective we may all be in some measure theological cripples. Ephesians 4:14-16 says we can only cure this by listening to one another.
Where in the New Testament does Paul recommend avoiding other Christians if they have problems? Hodge and other authorities note that the text in 2 Corinthians 6 applies to pagan idolators. Can we accuse other Christians of that without some conviction of sin in our own lives?
Luther says we should be on fire with love for others with imperfect faith and eager to share curative truth with them. Perhaps if we are so wounded or discouraged that we have no heart for this, we should repair to some fortress of conformity.
But boredom with the task of contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints — giving up on the task of being salt and light within the large denominations, as well as toward the world — usually leads to diminished spiritual power. God is in the business of tending the larger sheepfolds, though he graciously works also those who break out of the paddock.
Oddly enough, other professing Christians are often interested and attentive when real Evangelicals stand up and speak out. They don’t want to see conservatives disappear into another dimension. As a more liberal seminary professor once said, “We like you Evangelicals. You remind us of the Reformation.”
I know from personal experience how wearing it is to suffer cognitive dissonance while interacting with Liberal Christians. It is a difficult job — but someone has to do it. Sectarianism often turns out to be even more boring than mainline Liberal gatherings.
Because the truth is, modern Evangelicals have a lot to learn from other Christians, as Ephesians 4 makes clear. We all have splinters of the original Catholic, Reformation, and Evangelical traditions. And only in a gracious interaction with those we may consider weaker brothers and sisters will we come to wholeness.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching … Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (Ephesians 4:14-16).
Richard Lovelace is emeritus professor of church history at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including Homosexuality and the Church, The American Pietism of Cotton Mather, and Dynamics of Spiritual Life.
