Fundamentalism and the Word of God
Overview
This modern classic by the author of Knowing God provides a comprehensive statement of the doctrine of Scripture from an evangelical perspective. J.I. Packer explores the meaning of the word “fundamentalism” and offers a clear and well-reasoned argument for the authority of the Bible and its proper role in the Christian life.
- Offers a constructive re-statement of evangelical principles
- Explores the distinctives and perception of Fundamentalism
- Helps evangelical Christians to understand their faith better and witness to it more effectively
- ‘Fundamentalists’ under Fire
- What is ‘Fundamentalism’?
- Authority
- Scripture
- Faith
- Reason
- Liberalism
- Conclusion
- Appendix I-Professor Alan Richardson on ‘Fundamentalism’
- Appendix II-Dr. Hebert on Pseudonymity in Scripture
Top Highlights
“The second weakness of ecumenical thought which this analysis exposes is its conception of theological method. Its working principle is that all doctrinal views held, at any rate, by sizeable groups within Christendom are facets and fragments of God’s truth, and should therefore be regarded as, in some way, complementary to each other.” (Pages 17–18)
“The Concise Oxford Dictionary is thus right when it defines ‘Fundamentalism’ as: ‘maintenance, in opposition to modernism, of traditional orthodox beliefs such as the inerrancy of Scripture and literal acceptance of the creeds as fundamentals of protestant Christianity.’ This is what the term originally meant, and this is what the large number of American Evangelicals who still use it to describe their position mean by it today.” (Page 29)
“When ‘anti-fundamentalists’ generalize about ‘Fundamentalism’, they use, as we saw, very strong language; they describe it as ‘obscurantist’, ‘heretical’, ‘sectarian’, ‘schismatic’, ‘crude’ and ‘atavistic’, and its influence as ‘disastrous’. Nothing seems too bad to say about it! But when, after this, they come down to details, they are suddenly found assuring us that there is no substantial difference between Evangelicals and themselves at all! This strange volte-face is worth looking into.” (Page 16)
“‘Fundamentalist’ has long been a term of ecclesiastical abuse, a theological swear-word; and the important thing about a swear-word, of course, is not what it means but the feelings it expresses. It seems as discourteous as it is confusing to refer to Evangelicals as ‘Fundamentalists’ and so invoke against them all the contemptuous overtones that have gathered round the title.” (Page 30)
An amazingly comprehensive book that will supply evangelicals with a reasoned statement of their own position and challenge liberals to re-examine their fundamental presuppositions.
—Donald Guthrie
A forceful, lucid, and informed defense of the authority of Scripture.
—Christianity Today
- Title: Fundamentalism and the Word of God
- Author: J.I. Packer
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Publication Date: 1958
- Pages: 191
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Topic: Scripture
J. I. Packer (1926–2020) is regarded as one of the most influential evangelicals in North America. He was Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, and his writings include books such as Knowing God, A Quest for Godliness, Growing in Christ (Crossway) and Rediscovering Holiness. He preached and lectured widely in Great Britain and North America and served as general editor of the English Standard Version of the Bible published in 2001, and theological editor of the Study Bible version. In 2014, Packer was named Author of the Year by the Association of Logos Bookstores. He was a frequent contributor to and an executive editor of Christianity Today and wrote numerous articles published in journals such as Churchman, SouthWestern Journal, Reformation Revival Journal and Touchstone. He received a BA, MA and PhD from Oxford University.