I love a good article which triggers serious thought! Aaron at The Wardrobe Door has written just such an article: “Evangelical Myth #2: Evangelical Christians are the same as Fundamentalist Christians”

He makes excellent points about the implications of each of the terms. But I think I have to disagree about “fundamentalist(s) hav(ing) an anti-intellectual streak.” It has been my experience that small, hard core fundamentalist churches — such as the one my father attends — are probably more intellectual than most churches, preferring intellectual rigor over emotionalism. (I think that is why they tend to be so stiff.)

It seems to me that the type of church services he describes as “fundamentalist” should be more accurately described as “formal.” Formalism is not the same thing as fundamentalism. I have experienced many such “formal” services in my lifetime where the content ranged from Bible free (or even anti-biblical) to the “solid food” described in Hebrews 5:14.

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

(Heb. 5:12-14, NASB)

The root word of “fundamentalism” is “fundamental,” meaning something that is an essential or necessary part of a system or object. So a “fundamentalist” is someone who focuses on — or pays attention to — the basics.

The runup to the SuperBowl at this time of year makes a sports analogy almost inevitable in a discussion like this. But sports provide the best analogy I have ever been able to come up with on why fundamentalism is not only appropriate for christians, it is a necessary part of spiritual growth.

The story of Vince Lombardi’s first practice as the new head coach of the Green Bay Packers is often repeated. As the story goes, Coach Lombardi had his players gather around, and as he held up a football, he said, “Gentlement, this is a football.” Some versions of the story have it that one player raised his hand and said, “Coach, you’re going too fast for me. Can you slow down a little?”

Vince Lombardi’s purpose in making such an obvious statement was to drive home the point that unless a team successfully executes the fundamentals, winning is impossible. A team could have incredible talent, perfect play calling, excellent teamwork, and more plays than Broadway; but unless the ball carrier can reach the goal line with the ball in his hands, none of it matters. Coach Lombardi fits the definition of a football fundamentalist.

The same is true of the christian life. A man could be in church every time the doors are open, give everything he has to the poor and needy, and memorize the entire Bible with perfect recall; yet unless he confesses that Jesus is Lord with his mouth and believes in his heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9), he has not crossed the goal line into salvation.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

(Matt. 7:21-23, NASB)

That is what fundamentalism is in a nutshell; learning, practicing and executing the basics. Yet fundamentalism and an evangelistic approach are not incompatible. In fact, I submit that both are necessary components of a fully mature christian life just as skills which go beyond the fundamentals are required for a football team to reach the SuperBowl.

Fundamentalism is primarily a function of a person’s internal life; their beliefs, knowledge, and thought patterns. An evangelistic approach is the application of that internal life to the outside world. Consider Jesus’ answer to the question, “Which is the greatest commandment?”

And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

(Matt. 22:37-40, NASB)

Notice that the first command is primarily internal, focusing on our relationship with God. The second focuses on our relationship with others, and as such is external.

James makes a similar comparison of the internal and external christian life:

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

(James 2:17-18, NASB)

If a church is not reaching out into the community, they are not loving the people in the community no matter how excellent their theology is. A church which reaches out to those around them without sharing the fundamentals of the gospel is also not helping the people in the community. It is only when both sides of the equation are in place that a church is truly showing people the way into the kingdom of God.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;”

(Matt. 28:19-20a, NASB)

While it can be said that both labels can apply independently of each other, they are not mutually exclusive. I am proud to wear the label “fundamentalist,” proud to wear the label “evangelistic,” and proud to wear the label “christian.” I see them as being a badge of honor in God’s eyes, just as “SuperBowl champion” is a badge of honor to a football player.