Is classical Presbyterianism compatible with American Protestant fundamentalism?
It appears that fundamentalism has exerted a strong influence in the Presbyterian realm outside of the usually mentioned Bible Presbyterian Church. Issues of drinking, the conversion experience, and dispensationalism have penetrated Presbyterian denominations like the PCA. So, can fundamentalism and Presbyterianism coexist? As somewhat of an ex-fundy, I would like to see more done to put boundaries between the two, but I'm not sure how to proceed.
Hi David - Very interesting question. I am interested in the margins of this issue as I look at the Presbyterians and the relationship between the church union movement at the beginning of the 20th century and the modernist/fundamentalist controversy a couple of decades later.
ReplyDeleteSince you are the expert on the Southern Presbyterians I'm sure you are right about the modern situation, but from my readings of the controversy era dispensationalism is very seldom mentioned. In a similar way I am not remembering much mention of it in "The Fundamentals" which is usually my guideline for what early 20th century Fundamentalism is. I look forward to hear about that developing in the later 20th century.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting! It sounds like you have a very interesting topic in regards to the church union movement. Are you focusing solely on Presbyterians, or the broader American Reformed world (RCUS-1906)?
I haven't studied dispensationalism's influence on the Northern church (and that would be interesting). During the 1920's, the Southern Presbyterian church was generally conservative and hence there wasn't as much of a need for the "fundamentalists." Northern Protestants appeared to have divided in the 1920/1930's with dispensationalism affecting some of the conservative dissenters. To me, the split between the OPC and the Bible Presbyterians in 1938 is symptomatic of the tension between "Old School" Presbyterian conservatives ("confessionalists") and fundamentalists who happened to be Presbyterian.
I did find it of interest that on a PCUS ministerial form, it was asked whether the minister subscribed to dispensationalism. Evidently, there was some unease about the system of theology; I'm not sure if this was targeted to conservatives (who would have been the dispensationalist proponents). Certainly, some PCUS conservatives of that period (1960's) were sympathetic to the idea of the rapture, pre-millenial eschatology, and a dispensationalist scheme. Perhaps the influence of dispensationalism was not felt through the denominational apparatus, but rather through the church members via parachurch sources.