Mr. Fundamentalist | Christian Fundamentalism Series

Published: Nov. 22, 2022, noon

Love Truce? Donate to help Chris make the show!\n\nSo far this season I've covered William Jennings Bryan, a man who enjoyed the nickname "Mr. Fundamentalist". But he wasn't really a fundamentalist. Experts point to another man as the true face of fundamentalism. That man was William Bell Riley. He was a famous preacher in his day, bouncing around the midwest until he settled in Minnesota. He founded the Northwestern schools to spread his vision of Christianity and picked debates with modernists at the University of Chicago. He formed the World's Christian Fundamentals Association to help deliver denominations from modernism.\nBut... he lost. A bunch.\nIn this episode we explore the life of William Bell Riley to discover why he and the fundamentalists burned brightly, only to fizzle out a few years later.\nHelpful Links:\n\n\nGod's Empire by William Vance Trollinger\n\n\nMinnesota History article about Riley\n\nNew Hampshire Confession\n\n\n\nFundamentalism and American Culture by George Marsden\n\n\nThe Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald\n\n\nDiscussion Questions:\n\nHow should we react to heresy?\n\nDo you look for strong leaders like William Bell Riley or do you prefer calm leaders? Why?\n\nDo you have a creed you live by? Does your church profess one? Why or why not?\n\nHow do Bible schools shape our world? Have they impacted your life or the lives of friends?\n\nRiley and his friends lost in part because they were all trying to be leaders. Do you think you could submit to the leadership of others? If so, who?\n\n\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices