Fundamentalism As A Religious Dispute In The 1920s

“They are utterly silent in respect to a law which robs religion of its chief significance, and makes it utterly worthless to a world lying in wickedness.” Was the way people thought about religion in 1800s. Although religion is one of the most common topics it has changed during time but some actions have not.It has been difficult for people to gain respect on their own beliefs. However, not everything today has changed, people are still considering others people's beliefs are lower than theirs. Religion from the present time compared to the 1800s has changed drastically.

By the middle of the 1700’s, a significant organization took place. From New England to Georgia, different groups of Baptists began to form churches. They had only one doctrinal requirement that united them, i.e., the believer’s baptism by full immersion in water; also, Baptists then had different theological doctrinal beliefs. Notwithstanding, in the 1700’s, Baptist leaders sought to unify and homogenize the Baptist theology; they founded colleges and formed associations. However, the cause of “religious liberty,” was also a unanimous and significant characteristic that united the majority of Baptists. Their participation within their communities distinguished from other denominations. The Baptists were not contending for tolerance but for absolute “religious liberty.” Theirs demand was not for their right only but for the right of all dissenters and non-conformists as well. Some historians affirm that religious liberty in America was accomplished due to the diligence of the American Baptist, which now is proven to be the greatest contribution to American science and statecraft.”11

While many are unaware, the Protestant Reformation continues to be impactful in how people in America today view freedom, government, and rights. In general, the Reformation has played a role on the construction of America’s social order and diversity, the day-to-day natural life, and religious freedom. Beginning with the American Constitution, the foundation of Christianity (unversed in any other part of the world), unites religious moral standards with the American way of thinking regarding cultural diversity, equal rights, religious belief, and sexual characteristics.

To answer the question of did race play a role in the fundamentalist orientation of conservative Americans in the 1920’s, we have to look at some ideas that the fundamentalist operated on. Fundamentalism was a movement, born out of American Protestantism and suggested five vital beliefs of Christianity. These beliefs were the literal interpretation of Scripture, Christ’s virgin birth, atonement of Christ for our sins, Christ’s resurrection and the reality of Christ’s miracles. Many fundamentalists believed that the Bible was the only true book of human history, and that the Holy Spirit was spoken in the Bible to its authors as literal and word for word. Fundamentalists continually attacked against modernism in three ways: their first unsuccessful

The protestant Christianity was divided into two parts in America. They were Mainline and Evangelical. The Mainline were the liberal mainstream and the Evangelical were the conservative evangelical. The Evangelical was the most powerful Religious force in American society during the 20s of the last century. The status of the protestant evangelical as the mainstream had greatly declined once. This change was caused by the impact of the modernization

Many people see American religious behavior or movements as similar and even identical-looking (at some times) to each other. This understanding is, however, simply inaccurate as best. Religious stirrings have spread throughout history in various different ways and channels. It is evident that the first European settlers in America developed colonies that prized religion very dearly. Many new colonists had even formed their colonists due to persecution in other countries where they could not practice what they were strongly convicted of. Once free to worship in the way they wished, religion, in many colonies, became strict and ritualistic. Many believed in one single faith, such as Puritanism or Separatism, and would not allow any heretical or contrary behaviors to be pursued. The people who had resented religious oppression would not allow other people in minority to practice what they felt was true. On the other hand, the Second Great Awakening, which materialized during the late 1700s and early 1800s, was a stark contrast to the stringent values the Massachusetts colonies had nurtured. Free thinking and new ideologies arose and abounded in the early 19th century. These two religious movements were far from being alike, even though they both centered around Christianity. The differences arose in the various doctrines, denominations, and dogmas the people held to in those two situations. These differences are important to understand in order to truly appreciate our

Perhaps the most powerful, fluent, and forceful paper promoting liberal Christianity is indeed Harry Emerson Fosdick's 1922 sermon “Shall the Fundamentalists Win?”. Fosdick seemed as if he was a very captivating human being in history during his time of existence. He wrote one of the most engaging papers that I have yet to read thus this far. It was definitely a wise decision to go ahead and read the two articles discussing fundamentalism to catch me up so that I did not have trouble keeping up with Fosdick's movement that he established in his sermon. Initially, I believe that the arising church is, amongst other things, is a rectifying of liberalism for a postmodern age. And I'm convinced that the same claims made by Fosdick in 1922 are just what we hear form emergents today. There is nothing new that lies under the sun today. It is only natural that the specifics argued for by the modernists are not those of the postmodern emergents.

A wave of revivalism swept over the United States during the First Great Awakening that took place between 1734 and 1750. Many people came to accept the Christian faith during this time. This acceptance of the faith and different religious practices were not permanent and “by the end of the 18th century, many educated Americans no longer professed traditional Christian beliefs. In reaction to the secularism of the age, a religious revival spread westward in the first half of the 19th century. This ‘Second Great Awakening’ consisted of several kinds of activity, distinguished by locale and expression of religious commitment.” (Outline of American History).

The religions around the world are practiced in America such as Christianity,Islam,Jewish,etc and this country still remains one of the most religious nations in the world today.Population also usually can be participates in organized religious practice while others can choose to engage in a private spirituality.Besides that,religion can be describes as spiritual belief in, worship of, or obedience to a God and considered to be divine or to have control of human destiny.I believe the percentages in American people that believe in God still be higher in 50 years ahead,but the religious practicing probably will decreasing.It has many factors such as age, race, gender, economic class, and other demographic factors that can affect American

Church history reveals that a number of serious biblical doctrinal controversies occurred during the late 1800s and early 1900s that gave occasion for the formulation of certain fundamentalist principals to be implemented as a clarification and remedy against unbiblical manifestations. The authority of the Bible was brought into serious question.

Religion has played a large role throughout History. Entire nations have been founded on the ideals of one religion or another, and many wars have been fought purely for religious reasons. In fact there are wars still going on that are almost completely religiously motivated. New Religions may form, old religions may die or change, but they will always be a part of our culture and society. Religion always seems to play a large role in the formation of societies and cultures, and the history of the United States is no different from that of the rest of the world. Religion played a major role in the formation of the United States of America. More specifically between 1607 when

Putnam and Campbell’s “America Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us” does a better job of foreshadowing the future religious landscape in the United States. The two authors use the concept of ‘shocks, aftershocks, and earthquakes’ in order to convey religious turbulence in the United States. The earthquake of the 1960s was the most significant indication of change in which there was a steep decline in religious observance (Putnam and Campbell, 97). The 1960s was a transitional time for the United States as the Civil Rights Movement, immigration reform, and the sexual revolution dominated American culture. These events displaced religion from the lives of Americans and thus became a clarion call for the transition away

It is Changez’s shifting identity that creates the main interest and tension in the novel. Do you agree?

What is a reluctant fundamentalist? To be reluctant is to have feelings of aversion. A fundamentalist is one who holds on to any set of principles. Then the term of being a reluctant fundamentalist is somewhat an ironic term in this context, because our main character is a person who is not sure what beliefs he should adhere to. The novel “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” is written by Mohsin Hamid and was published in 2007. Our main character, Changez, struggles to find his identity between being an American or Pakistani through certain events in his life.

Fundamentalism and Religion For a vast majority, the term “fundamentalism” evokes images of hostage crises, embassies under siege, hijackings, and suicide bombers. But these images hardly present a comprehensive picture. People in the west associate fundamentalism with Islam, this is indeed a mistaken belief. Fundamentalism is defined as " the affirmation of religious authority as holistic and absolute, admitting of neither criticism nor reduction; it is expressed through the collective demand that specific creedal and ethical dictates derived from scripture be publicly recognized and legally enforced ." (Lawrence)