A History of Christian Doctrine #3 - Online Christian Library

Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism
them to be legalistic instructions for the Jews in preparation
for their earthly kingdom. Although Fundamentalism’s
reason for existence is to champion the
inspiration and authority of the Bible, in effect it renders
large portions of the Bible irrelevant to the church today.
Historically, the Fundamentalists were quite conservative
politically, while many early Pentecostals warned
both of the dangers of socialism and unbridled capitalism.
Fundamentalists typically supported military action by
the government, while most early Pentecostals were pacifists.
The Fundamentalist movement mainly attracted
whites, while the Pentecostals were racially diverse. Of
course, both groups have always been conservative
morally.
The difference between Fundamentalists and Oneness
Pentecostals is particularly great. Fundamentalists reject
any modification of the doctrine of the trinity or any idea
that the experience of salvation could involve more than
a verbal confession of faith. Most of them also advocate
unconditional eternal security.
The Evangelicals
By the 1940s some conservatives were dissatisfied
with the label “Fundamentalist” because of the negative
connotations in society and the adversarial position of
many Fundamentalists toward other churches. They
wanted to affirm the basic doctrines of Fundamentalism
and historic Protestantism, but they wanted a more positive
identity, a less strident tone, a more conciliatory
approach toward others, and a greater appreciation for
culture, education, scholarship, and science. That desire
led to the Evangelical movement. In essence, the
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