Gospel Prism

“I’m not a fundamentalist.” That’s what I said many years ago to a woman I met who had graduated from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia. She asked me what school I was attending for seminary and I responded, “Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.” Her response to my reply was, “Oh so you’re a fundamentalist.” You see, in her mind, a fundamentalist was anyone who believed the Bible as inerrant. In my mind, a fundamentalist is someone like Fred Phelps who goes to Marines’ funerals holding banners that read, “God is punishing the US for loving homosexuals.” And I certainly do not want to be associated with Rev. Phelps and his church.

But of course, there are some Fundamentalists who do not go as far as Mr. Phelps. They have a separatist streak in them, believing wholeheartedly that the world pollutes Christians so much that we must pull out of all dialog with the world. John Piper, in a kind reply to a fundamentalist critique of his ministry, blesses fundamentalist values and its strong stance against the world, saying: “So I thank God for fundamentalism, and I think that some of the whining about its ill effects would have to also be directed against the black-and-white bluntness of Jesus.” Again, this is in the context of their critique of him. It’s one the many reasons I praise God for Dr. Piper. He does all he can to see life through the lens of Scripture, even those who oppose him. And I agree with him, bashing all fundamentalists is much like shooting oneself in the foot. While I don’t agree with all that they believe, I am so appreciative of the Fundamentalist movement that probably led to the Southern Baptists still believing in the inerrancy of Scripture today. Without them, there would probably be no Al Mohler as president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

I am not a fundamentalist to a Fundamentalist. But to some who believe the Bible is flawed by human transmission, I am a fundamentalist. And if believing the Bible is inerrant makes me a Fundamentalist, then I am proud to be a non-Fundamentalist, Fundamentalist.