Fundamentalism is an idea espoused by people of faith, not necessarily just Christian faith, that scripture should have ultimate authority and should be believed as complete literal interpretation of the world. While fundamentalism applies to a variety of religious practices, in America, it has mainly manifested in protestantism.
Before diving into how fundamentalism has made its mark on modern America, a further description of the movement and its origin is necessary to trace it through history. The movement started in the early 1900's when a northerner named William Bell Riley created the World Christian Fundamentals Association. At the time, various new ideas, specifically scientific thought, were espoused globally and thus many pious members of churches in the United States felt the need to join together in a cause against these new theories. Being raised in a community that was dogmatic to the core, it is clear why they believed that fundamentalism was a necessity to protect their religion and more importantly their "truth."
The movement, while originating in the North, found greater success and support in the South, spreading all across the latter part of America. Soon, fundamentalism began to associate itself with conservative ideology
Much of the movement's ideology and thought was spread through education and specifically higher institutions labeled as "bible colleges" which affirmed a strict interpretation of the bible. While fundamentalism tackled a variety of issues, evolution was on the forefront of the movement's metaphorical pitchfork, as it directly conflicted with the Bible's assertion of God's ultimate control over life and development of humans. To fight against evolution, as well as other issues, fundamentalists banned the teaching of secular ideas in public schools across the South.
The realistic effects of fundamentalism during its starting point can be seen through the Scopes Trial, which we have discussed in class. The premise rested in a public school teacher affirming evolution and being charged for this reason. While fundamentalists won this trial, labeled the Scopes trial, the teacher's lawyer Clarence Darrow's case put an effective dent in the movement for quite a while.
Not to say that fundamentalism has died down, on the contrary, the ideology is still strong and present in today's world - and it's origins allow us to understand it's presence in contemporary times. As of 2010, polls predict that 58% of Southerners still have fundamentalists leanings while that number is a measly 13% in other regions of the United States. Moreover, issues such as evolution still stand as an important part of fundamentalism ideology, as various conservative politicians still assert that evolution is a farce.
However, as time goes on and demographics change, specifically looking to the younger population, one must question how prevalent fundamentalism will be when students study US History decades or even centuries from now.
I liked the fact that you talked about fundamentalism as a general movement rather than a solely Christian movement in the early 20th century. I wonder what type of impact socioeconomic status has on fundamentalism. It can be inferred that less education would lead to more fundamentalism (as higher education often leads to more faith in science). I wonder if the distribution of wealth in a community affects its culture and attitudes towards fundamentalism.
ReplyDeleteI like that you included the percentage of fundamentalists today because I was wondering about that. It seems hard to be a fundamentalist today, when modern science is expanding all around us. I predict that fundamentalism will slowly expire in the South, because, as you said, the younger generations have a different bend. I think that modern education will have a big impact on this. It would be extremely hard to believe something that was outlawed in school.
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