Christianity Fundamentalism, Evangelicalism, and Pentecostalism
Fundamentalism, Evangelicalism, and Pentecostalism Summary: American evangelicalism dates back to the New England Puritans. Today, the term references a diverse group of Christians who often prioritize spiritual rebirth, proselytizing, and spiritual piety. Fundamentalism emerged in the 20th century as a particular theology characterized most notably by biblical literalism. Pentecostalism refers to Christian denominations who prioritize the spirit and whose worship services may include speaking in tongues, faith healings, and other charismatic expressions.
Evangelicalism today is a protean movement that includes Christians on both the left and right of the political spectrum. American evangelicals stand within a tradition whose theological roots lie within the Reformed tradition, manifested in early America in New England Puritanism and elsewhere. Although, as religion scholar Randall Balmer has noted, evangelicals today defy neat categorization, there are some distinguishing characteristics often associated with the movement. These include an individual’s “spiritual rebirth, a ‘born-again’ experience,” “a proselytizing zeal,” and an “emphasis on spiritual piety.” The term encompasses fundamentalist, pentecostal, evangelical, and charismatic forms of Christianity, powerful streams of belief, spirit, and practice that cut across any simple denominational classification. Late 20th century America saw the dramatic emergence of evangelicalism in public life, a marked shift from earlier attempts by many within the movement earlier in the century to eschew secular society altogether. The rejection by early 20th century conservatives of liberal and “modernist” Christian responses to the rise of science, Biblical criticism, and secularism birthed fundamentalism. After losing a struggle with liberals for control of church institutions, fundamentalists withdrew from the mainstream denominations in the 1930s and 1940s to form an extensive subculture which served as an incubator for a range of fundamentalist and neo-evangelical forms of Christianity. Fundamentalism is characterized by biblical literalism, a clear-cut doctrine of what they believe to be “the fundamentals” of Christian orthodoxy, a unique view of history called dispensational premillennialism, and the establishment of separatist churches and schools in an attempt to shun not only the corruption of society but also the corrupting influence of Christians who believe differently. In the 1970s, however, some fundamentalist groups, most notably Jerry Falwell’s “Moral Majority,” emerged from their self-imposed exile to become public advocates for conservative moral reform.