Today, I was reading the entry on “Fundamentalism” in Alan Richardson, A Dictionary of Christian Theology (SCM Press, 1969) when I came across a passage that provides a trenchant critique of fundamentalism. One of the key attractions of fundamentalism, at least according to its adherents, is the belief that fundamentalism is rooted in the faithful transmission of […]
fundamentalism
Fundamentalist Bible Reading and Literally False Descriptions of God
In this video, I explain how a passage like Exodus 32 forces fundamentalist Christians to abandon their “literalist” approach to Bible reading or face stark theological consequences. ?
The Incredibly Dark World of Fundagelical Christianity
I grew up in a fundagelical church. We were Pentecostal and thus charismatic with a heady dose of dispensationalism and culture war conservatism. As I reflect back, it strikes me that the worldview I was given was incredibly dark and pessimistic. For example, we were raised to believe the following (either through explicit teaching or […]
How Professional Wrestling can Help Us Understand the Bible
In this video, I argue that in the same way that we can appreciate professional wrestling as performance even if it is not a conventional sport, so we can appreciate non-historical aspects of the biblical narrative even if they are not literally true. ?
The Fundamentalist Atheist as Frankenstein’s Monster
I had a civil discussion with “Pinecreek” recently on my book Jesus Loves Canaanites. At least, I thought it was civil. Alas, now true to form, Pinecreek has posted a severely shortened edit which he has labeled as “bloviation free”. Oh, how delightfully cheeky that is! Because you see, I’m a pompous, long-winded idiot. And […]
Randal Rauser, Conservative Cultural Warrior
Anybody who has read my book What’s So Confusing About Grace? knows my story. I was raised in a fundagelical church that focused on culture war issues. In the early 1990s, I was a Rush Limbaugh fan, I listened to James Dobson and the Bible Answer Man on the radio, and I was ready to fight in […]
Before You Make Fun of the Church Sign, Try Interpreting it Charitably
A friend of mine just sent me this picture of a church sign. While this seems like an easy target for fundamentalist irrationalism, there is a very plausible charitable interpretation. (By the way, given the number of fake church signs out there, I did a quick google search and confirmed that Paoli Wesleyan is, at […]
Finding the Devil in Rock and Roll … Backwards
The single most infamous song of the backward masking craze of the 1980s was surely Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” A message from the devil or a trick of the imagination? I’ll say the latter. But when we were kids, playing “Stairway to Heaven” backward on the record player was still a memorable way to […]
A Wide-Ranging Interview with the Non-Alchemist
Five Signs that You Were Raised Fundagelical
Is Progressive Christianity Worse Than Atheism? My Response to Alisa Childers
In this video, I offer a response to Christian apologist Alisa Childers’ article “5 Signs Your Church Might be Heading Toward Progressive Christianity.”
On the Fallacies of the Theological Conservative
In this video, I critique Baptist theologian Russell Moore’s treatment of universalism. Unfortunately, the sound level is low but I’m not inclined to re-record it so it is what it is.
On the Pseudo-Piety of Shutting Down Questioning By Asking Who Are You, O Man?
This morning, I tweeted my old (2012) review of David Lamb’s book God Behaving Badly. The review includes an extensive critique of Lamb’s attempt to rationalize and baptize biblical violence. Not surprisingly, I received a pseudo-pious reply from some self-righteous fellow who actually had the temerity to begin with “Who are you, o man?”. Who are you, […]
My Monday Morning Rant Against Evangelicals Who Undermine the Bible
This morning, a tweet from Fuz Rana got under my skin. I should begin by saying that he seems like a nice chap and Reasons to Believe is less bad than Answers in Genesis. However, being nice and less-bad cannot save one from the fundamental error of treating the Bible as a confirmatory textbook for […]
