What is Christian Fundamentalism?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, fundamentalism can be defined as: “A religious movement, which orig. became active among various Protestant bodies in the United States after the war of 1914-1918, based on strict adherence to certain tenets (e.g. the literal inerrancy of Scripture) held to be fundamental to the Christian faith; … opposite of liberalism and modernism. In other religions, esp. Islam, a similarly strict adherence to ancient or fundamental doctrines, with no concessions to modern developments in thought or customs.”

Within Christian Fundamentalism, there a belief in God that is fixed and inflexible. Yet, this belief and definition of God often comes from pastors and leaders who are not fully educated in the rich history of their own religion. Even worse, they are not following the example of Christ’s teachings in their own lives and teachings. Instead, they rely on a close-minded interpretation of the Bible that is passed down from an authority figure of their own choosing (or sometimes they interpret the Bible on their own, and are hostile to their parishioners if they speak up against their teachings). These pastors/leaders/”Christians” often give up the power and freedom of thought to authority and allow authority to interpret their beliefs. When one has an ultimate view of a God who is close-minded, it dehumanizes people and allows believers to vilify those who don’t accept their “story” of God.