This is my interview on Capturing Christianity talking about Christian Bellows: Timeless Truth in a World of Lies. ?
fundamentalism
Randal Rauser Interviews Christian Bellows
In November 2022, I published my fifteenth book, a satire of religious fundamentalism titled Christian Bellows Timeless Truth in a World of Lies. Mr. Bellows describes himself as an “Independent Bible Church Pastor, Unaccredited Bible College President, World-Reknowned Biblical Scientist, and the Apologist of the Great Plains.” Since the book was released, I have been trying […]
It’s Time to Meet Christian Bellows!
Yay! My fifteenth book is now available and it is time to meet the most stubborn, ornery old fundamentalist you’re ever likely to see. In this video I introduce Christian Bellows to the world. After watching, be sure to pick up your copy! The Amazon link for American readers (promoted). The Amazon link for Canadian […]
No, the “Mainstream Media” is Not Trying to “Gaslight” You
One of my Twitter followers, Matthew, directed me to a new article posted yesterday by Christian apologist Natasha Crain titled “How Mainstream Media Gaslights Christians (and Everyone Else Who Disagrees with Them).” In the article, Crain points out that the “mainstream media” is biased. While that is true as far as it goes, Crain doesn’t […]
Explaining the Concept of Atheistic Fundamentalism
In my recent interview on Canadian Catholic, I explain how atheist apologist John Loftus is a fundamentalist atheist. I’ve been discussing the phenomenon of fundamentalist atheism for years now. But I often get the reply that fundamentalism cannot apply to atheism because fundamentalism is essentially a religious phenomenon. That, of course, assumes that atheism cannot be […]
On Meeting My Past Fundamentalist Self
When I was a kid, I learned to view Christians who challenged my narrow fundamentalist paradigm as ‘liberals’ who were trying to subvert the Gospel. The view was borne by ignorance and an utter lack of charity. These days, when I make a point that challenges fundamentalism. I regularly get catty insults from Christians on […]
Why Christian Fundamentalism Is Not Your Father’s Orthodoxy
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 […]
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 […]