We often call folks Reformed who do not belong to a Reformed denomination. It has become a catchword loosely and wrongly used by confessional Lutherans to refer to all those who are not confessional Lutherans (and also neither Orthodox nor Roman Catholic). We often call folks Protestant but when it comes to what that words means, we find ourselves caught between its classical meaning (in which Lutheranism might fit) and its modern usage (in which most Lutherans would not at all fit). We often call folks fundamentalists but this no longer has historic reference to the fundamentals for which a segment of Christians once stood and has become, in effect, a nasty word applicable to extremists (extremism being always distasteful). We often call folks evangelical even though they might not agree (some evangelicals being more or less fundamentalists who no longer like the moniker and others being rather liberal and objecting to most all of those things which fundamentalism espoused, save perhaps individual and personal conversion).
Lutherans may be Protestant but probably are not. Reformed are always evangelicals but probably not funadmentalists. Fundamentalists are generally evangelicals but evangelicals are mostly not fundamentalists. Are you confused yet?
Read the article on what distinguishes evangelical from fundamental. It may answer the question for you or merely muddy the already opaque waters of words we attempt to us to define segments of Christian thought and belief...
4 comments:
The most concise explanation I've heard is that a fundamentalist is an evangelical who is angry about something. I heard Randall Balmer, author of Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory, say that, but I think it has older origins.
"what distinguishes evangelical from fundamental. "
for one thing, fundies actually know what they believe
Martin Noland, years ago, published a sort of time/development line that showed precisely the expansion away from the true catholicism of the One Holy. I use it yet today to show my flock from whence we cometh, and likewise, the nature of those neighboring "churches" in our midst.
Joseph Herl - I still remember with great fondness your recital at the Chapel of Western Illinois University, and of course, the several years we had together at St. John's in Champaign.
My best to Jenny -she is a dear soul, and also your children. I presently lack an organist, and am dependent upon the Synod's CD's for liturgy and music generated through a computer and filtered out through less than adequate speakers. Such is life in the parish, as it were, but my good man, if you are ever persuaded to work for free . . . please . . .
Let me know!!! All the best in Christ . . .
Jeff Baxter
Pastor Baxter! ❤ How are you!?!
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