The fundamentalist/modernist controversy of the early 1900s is a significant recent event in Western (especially American) Church History. However, not many people seem to know much about it. The controversy and its ramifications will be briefly explained.

The fundamentalist/modernist controversy was the conflict of at least two competing worldviews and approaches to Scripture. The fundamentalists were Biblicists meaning that primary authority was granted to the text of Scripture. The modernists were mainly Enlightenment empiricists. As such, the modernists gave primary authority to empirical data and man’s thoughts concerning the data. While the Enlightenment had positive developments, like advancements in individual rights and questioning blind acceptance of tradition, many Enlightenment thinkers placed too much value on human reason to the detriment of revelation and even tradition. As Christians began to wrestle with the claims of secular culture, these two differing groups emerged.

The capstone of the fundamentalist camp is the work now known as The Fundamentals, from where the fundamentalists get their name. The Fundamentals were concerned with defending certain historic and biblical doctrines including the Virgin Birth of Jesus, the Deity of Christ, the Trinity, and Biblical Inerrancy. Out of the fundamentalist camp came the Bible College movement, a reaction against modernist philosophy being the norm at secular and nominally Christian universities.

The fundamentalists of the early 1900s are to be praised for their insistence on biblical authority and for their commitment to make biblical education more readily available. Nonetheless, like most generally positive movements or philosophies, there have been negative consequences. First, the Bible College movement and the fundamentalists disillusion with secular culture led to the Church forfeiting academia and the culture. Especially now, conservatives consistently complain about the generally anti-Christian attitude found in the university.

Contemporary Christians have inherited a radically degenerating Western society. Some, the writer included, feel an urge to disengage from the culture, seeing it as beyond saving. Indeed, as far as man has predictive power, it is likely that the West will either collapse or cripple. However, retreat is not to what Christ has called the Church. Jesus declared to Peter, “That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Regardless of whether the Church in the West collapses and almost totally apostatizes, the Christian knows that Christ’s Church will not perish from the earth even until the end of the age.

The picture of the gates of hell conjures up an image of the entrance into that tormentous place. The “gates” of hell is an interesting word choice. Most seem to take gates as a synonym for “army” or “forces.” Indeed, that is probably correct to an extent. However, “gates” implies that the Christian can be on the offensive. If not even the entrance to hell will overpower the Church, she may feel confident to attack the gates! That is, the Church has been called to be on the offensive. Yes, there are times that Christians may feel like the Men of Rohan who defended Helm’s Deep against all hope. However, a different scene from the Lord of the Rings illustrates the duty of the Church. (If you have not read the books or watched the movies, stop reading this and go do so now.) After the Battle of Pelennor Fields, the men of Gondor and Rohan marched towards the Black Gate of Mordor in a courageous attempt to distract Sauron from Frodo, Sam, and the Ring of Power. The brave Men of the West did not expect victory, but they knew that a seemingly-foolhardy offensive was the best chance to win the war.

The Battle of the Black Gate ended in a victory for the men of Westernesse not because of the strength of the warriors but because of the destruction of Sauron’s power source, the One Ring. Similarly, Christians must engage the culture even in the face of sure defeat. “It is not your business to succeed, but to do right; when you have done so, the rest lies with God” (C.S. Lewis). What Christian have that the defenders of Middle Earth did not is the surety of ultimate victory. Because of Jesus Christ’s saving atonement, the Christian knows that the war is won. All the Christian has to do is fight.

Mitchell D. Cochran is a family life educator, a financial coach, and a board certified biblical counselor. He is the cofounder of Hope Initiative Consulting, LLC. and is currently attending Calvary University for his M.A. in biblical counseling. Mitchell is active in local politics in Lubbock, TX, where he lives with his wife, Katherine.