Sekino, Yuji. Translated by Gary Fujino. "Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism: The Problem of American Christian Fundamentalism for Japanese Evangelicalism." (原理主義と福音主義 -- 米国キリスト教原理主義に見る日本の福音派の問題). Japan Evangelical Association Theological Commission Pamphlet 6 (May 2006): 17-48.
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CONCLUSION
In his book, Revisiting Christian America, Yasuo Furuya is an evangelical who remains in a mainline (liberal) denomination and is a rare presence who makes regular evaluations. He analyzes the decline of mainline groups and the present phenomenon of the rise of evangelicalism in America. Even as he criticizes the obstinacy of Christian fundamentalism, he writes about his expectations for the moderate evangelical to uphold the certainty of Christian faith and says the following: “In a word, the mainline, liberal churches are being self-critical and I believe that there is no other way to the path of regeneration outside of a recovery of the certainty of Christian faith through humbly learning from evangelical churches and from their theology. Or, one could say that there is no other way to the path of regeneration outside of passing down the societal interests to which liberals are inclined as they continue to uphold the certainty of faith that evangelicals did by overcoming fundamentalism. I think that the second possibility is strong for us today” (Furuya 2005:172-173).
The defeat of the tendency toward fundamentalism which had a propensity toward erroneous forms of that certainty is a most important topic for we evangelicals who firmly uphold the certainty of the gospel which the mainline has lost. We cannot sidestepped the fact of the treasure God has given to us by the gospel; we are to fulfill the command to serve the world with this richness.
The issue we have of Christian Fundamentalism in America is in the progressive tense. From this point I would cautiously like to analyze this trend and be one who continues to raise a voice of protest against extreme ways of living. I want to be one who tries to keep a healthy balance on the understanding of the gospel so that Japanese evangelical churches will have a healthy stance toward their society.
Publications
