The Oxford Handbook of Christian Fundamentalism

Abstract Christian fundamentalism is a significant global movement. It originally took its name from The Fundamentals, a series of booklets defending classic evangelical doctrines, published in the 1910s, but it has evolved significantly beyond its early North American origins. In this Handbook, research-led chapters cover major historical developments, key doctrines such as biblical inerrancy, creationism and separatism, and an extensive range of moral and cultural issues to which the contribution of fundamentalism has been important, including popular music, alcohol, sport, and family life. Recognizing the prominence of fundamentalism beyond the church, the Handbook explores its contribution towards public debates concerning political influence, education, abortion, civil rights, business, global warming, sexuality, Israel and the Middle East, and the shaping of contemporary culture. Since its inception, Christian fundamentalism has been a highly contested category. By some, the title is used as a badge of honour, by others as a term of abuse. The Handbook acknowledges the many interpretative and definitional complexities and allows multiple identities to jostle together under the ‘fundamentalist’ label. The boundaries between fundamentalism and evangelicalism are porous, so the analysis covers several of the more conservative expressions of Christianity which show fundamentalist characteristics.