Authoritarian or Authority-Minded?: The Cognitive Commitments of Fundamentalists and the Christian Right
One of the more consistent characterizations of both American Fundamentalism and other versions of conservative Evangelicalism is that these groups represent authoritarian religious and social systems. Such characterizations are not entirely without some basis in fact. Fundamentalism will almost alw...
Authors: | ; ; |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
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Published: |
Cambridge University Press
1991
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In: |
Religion and American culture
Year: 1991, Volume: 1, Issue: 1, Pages: 73-100 |
Online Access: |
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Summary: | One of the more consistent characterizations of both American Fundamentalism and other versions of conservative Evangelicalism is that these groups represent authoritarian religious and social systems. Such characterizations are not entirely without some basis in fact. Fundamentalism will almost always appear authoritarian, and so too will forms of Pentecostalism which, like Fundamentalism, place a heavy emphasis on correct thinking and combine a belief in the infallibility of scripture with a commitment to literal readings. Outsiders are sometimes disconcerted to find that “authoritarian” and related concepts are not assessed negatively in conservative Evangelical circles. Quite the contrary is the case: the Bible, infallible, inerrant, “God-breathed,” is the clear center of Evangelical authority. Many a Fundamentalist sermon has sought to clinch its case with the phrase, “on authority of the holy Word of God.” |
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ISSN: | 1533-8568 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Religion and American culture
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1525/rac.1991.1.1.03a00050 |