FundamentalismMuch of the Christianity which flourishes best today has “conservative” or “fundamentalist” characteristics, that is, strong emphasis on the correctness of the Bible, hostility to the methods of modern critical theology and an assurance that those who choose to differ are not really “true Christians” at all. In this penetrating critique Professor Barr first argues that the nature of fundamentalism is often misunderstood and that the general understanding of the way in which biblical conservatism works needs to be improved and corrected. Secondly, however, he seeks to dissuade those who are attracted by it, arguing that the conservative position is not only incoherent as a scholarly position but thoroughly in contradiction, theologically, with the central logic of Christian faith. Biblical scholarship and theology, he believes, have much to learn from the discussion. While it is right to repudiate a fundamentalist approach, the reasons advanced for this rejection have often been unsound, and these unsound arguments have damaged both modern biblical criticism and modern theology. Both conservative evangelical and more liberal scholars are likely to study what he has to say with unusual avidity. |
Contents
The Religious Basis of Fundamentalism | 11 |
The Bible First Stage | 40 |
Harmonization | 55 |
How do we know that the Bible is inerrant? | 72 |
Maximal conservatism | 85 |
Conservative Biblical Scholarship | 120 |
Fundamentalism and Theology | 160 |
Variations and Conflicts | 187 |
Verbal inspiration | 286 |
Semantics | 299 |
Conclusion | 302 |
Mainly Personal Attitudes | 304 |
Objectivity | 310 |
People and attitudes | 317 |
Ecumenicity | 328 |
The conservatism of moderates | 331 |
Pentecostalism and the like | 207 |
Neoorthodoxy biblical theology and the new | 213 |
Miracles and the Supernatural | 235 |
conservatives | 260 |
Philosophy | 270 |
Textual variation | 279 |
Jewish conservatism | 284 |
Conclusion | 338 |
Notes | 345 |
363 | |
369 | |
375 | |
378 | |
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Common terms and phrases
accept actual apologetic argue argument authority authorship believe Bible Commentary Revised biblical criticism biblical inerrancy biblical inspiration biblical study biblical text biblical theology Charles Hodge Christ Christian church conservatism conservative apologists conservative evangelical conservative scholars critical approach critical scholars critical scholarship damentalist Deuteronomy dispensationalism divine doctrine dogmatic elements emphasis error evidence fact faith form criticism fundamentalism gospel historical Hodge Holy idea important inerrancy infallible Isaiah Jesus Ladd liberal literal literary literature Maccabaean matter means ment millenarianism miracle modern conservative modern theology Moses movement natural neo-orthodoxy non-conservative Old Testament orthodoxy passage pentateuch philosophical possible prediction Princeton theology probably prophets Psalm question Ramm reader reason religion religious revelation scripture sense social social gospel sort story supernatural supernaturalist suppose taken talism teaching theologians things thought tion tive tradition true truth understanding vative virgin birth Warfield whole words writers