Dr. Couch, what is the difference between a Christian fundamentalist and an evangelical?
ANSWER: The term "evangelical" began to be used in the 1940s to describe
Christians who believed in the basics of the faith and practiced giving
out the gospel, i.e., "evangelism." While some may disagree with my
answer, I believe there is no difference except in the area of
temperament. By this I mean that there can be some who claim to be
"fundamentalists" who are very, very narrow and legalistic in living out
their Christian walk.
I generally call myself an evangelical. I hold to all of the
"fundamentals" of the faith, but I am not a "fighting fundy" who is all
stressed out about dress, the KJV Bible only view, and other pretty
narrow and uneducated issues. The news media uses the word
"fundamentalists" as if we are religious Nazis who would enslave
everyone to our views. This is of course a smear tactic to wrongly label
what we believe. We are vitally concerned about social and personal
morality, as all Christians were some generations back. Christianity
influenced the culture and Christian morality was in place in the
society.
Generally too, those who pride themselves on being called fundamental
pretty much hold to an isolationist position. We should be "separate"
spiritually from the world but not "isolate" from the society. Christ
ate and drank with Publicans (crooked tax-collectors) and sinners
(prostitutes) and banqueted with them for days, reclining on couches
conversing about spiritual matters.
A fundamentalist often believes that the only church is the local church
and that one must be baptized in that church alone. Communion also is
only for the members of that church. They may have some other views that
they hold tightly, that cannot be defended by Scripture.
I generally do not trouble myself much about this issue. I have too much to do just trying to teach the "full counsel of God."
Great question, and thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
