Antefundamentalism Defined

I suppose I may have created my own word, "antefundamentalism," to describe what it may have been like before Fundamentalism became such an integral part of our American experience and culture. Fundamentalism in America is often the unacknowledged step-sister of the evangelical church. It is definitely a reaction to much of what is considered creeping liberalism in theology in America. My word, "antefundamentalist,"  plays on the double entendre of "ante" versus "anti"  when it comes to thinking about fundamentalism in America. I suppose in exploring the "before" of the movement, I might also be exploring the "after" of the movement, because I do not see American fundamentalism continuing as a viable movement, as more and more people come to understand it's true affects on themselves, their families, their culture and their country.

I actually attended a fundamentalist church  for most of my life, pastored a church for 13 years, and graduated from a very fundamentalist college, so I have hands-on experience, or "insider experience," as it were, on the subject. I feel compelled to do this analysis because as Americans, we are now seeing an upsurge of Fundamentalism in both the Christian and Muslim worlds. Much of the Christian upsurge is in South America and Africa, while most of the Muslim upsurge is in the Middle East and Europe. That upsurge has become a thing of great and not marginal concern to me as a Christian and as a world citizen because it is leading to so much physical and spiritual death, destruction, and polarization  throughout  the world.

American Christian fundamentalism is actually a relatively new phenomenon, probably no more than 100 to 150 years old. Christians in other parts of the world look at this strange form of American Christianity and marvel that it exists at all in an educated, industrialized nation like the United States. Muslim fundamentalism, of the present day hybrid militaristic variety, is not even that old.  There are so many similarities between the two types of fundamentalism that it becomes frightening.

Experience is driving me to believe that fundamentalism of either variety is dangerous to the well-being of many in our American society as well as the world at large. Fundamentalism has led to so much misunderstanding around the world about what the average American believes about life, religion, and political issues in the Middle East. I hope you will explore these many topics with me as my blog evolves. Thank you for reading. Please send me feedback and suggestions for other discussions.