fundamentalism - fundamentalists and the long lost fundamentals

I heard this when driving back from a spot of teaching:-
"The problem with fundamentalism is that the fundamentalists have forgotten the fundamentals" Sandi Toksvig on LBC 97.3fm
She wasn't particularly talking about Christianity - but nevertheless. Bonhoeffer has some useful insights to those who proudly fly their 'nevertheless fanaticism' colours in the name of the kingdom.
"Restless energy which refuses to recognise any limit to their activity, the zeal which refuses to take note of resistance springs from a confusion of the gospel with a victorious ideology. An ideology requires fanatics, who neither know nor notice opposition...the 'word' recognises opposition when it meets it and is prepared to suffer it and is free from that morbid restlessness which is so characteristic of fanaticism" (Bonhoeffer 1937:166).

Bonhoeffer, D. (1937) The Cost of Discipleship. SCM
That from someone who knew what it meant to be a true fanatic! Perhaps the self-defined 'souled out' crowd are not quite as 'sold out' as they think they are? Perhaps those that they disdainfully look down on - may just have something - the long lost fundamentals!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A bit of sally bashing....

Came across a good bit of Sally bashing over at salvationsoldiers I have to say we try and make sure that everything we raise goes into projects that build local community in Poplar but hopefully if you read this blog you get that sense anyway.
Read more

Lost Voices of Mission...Fred Brown

Image
Along the world famous Oxford street in London's Westend; nestled in among the classy frontage of designer shops there is almost an unnoticeable, unimpressive wooden door. It is more or less alongside The Regent Hall's main entrance onto the busyness of Oxford Street. People pass the wooden door oblivious to the equally unimpressive wooden steps that go up three storey's to what was Regent Hall's youth club. When I was 10 I played on these bare wooden steps totally unaware of the significance behind and upon which I played. Many years later I discovered a university youth work course - as an induction to Youth Work - stopped outside this insignificant wooden door to point out that Youth Work as we know it in the UK started behind this door. ...whether that be the surbanite flower people that flooded the Westend to express their free love; or the hard core drug community this unimpressive wooden door became the 'portal' that blurred encounter between church an...
Read more

Types of Christian Spirituality...

Image
It is easy to think and to limit ourselves to a single approach to Christian spirituality. A 'if it works for me it should work for you approach' tends to narrow our appreciation of other ways which actually impoverishes our experience of spirituality. Urban T. Holmes has developed a means of exploring spirituality and helps develop an appreciation through discovering links between spirituality, temperament and predisposition. The diagram illustrates his ideas together with potential inherent dangers. The vertical continuum speaks and helps us understand our relational orientation to God. This ranges from engaging with God through understanding and theological process to a more emotive response. Horizontally speaks of a persons preferred means of pursuing the spiritual life. Kataphtic speaks of affirmation and the need of something tangible in an individuals spirituality- this may take the form of worship, art, even imagination with the use of metaphors, symbols and images play...
Read more