[fuhn-duh-men-tl-iz-uh
m] 
| 1. | (sometimes initial capital letter) a movement in American Protestantism that arose in the early part of the 20th century in reaction to modernism and that stresses the infallibility of the Bible not only in matters of faith and morals but also as a literal historical record, holding as essential to Christian faith belief in such doctrines as the creation of the world, the virgin birth, physical resurrection, atonement by the sacrificial death of Christ, and the Second Coming. |
| 2. | the beliefs held by those in this movement. |
| 3. | strict adherence to any set of basic ideas or principles: the fundamentalism of the extreme conservatives. |
| fun·da·men·tal·ism (fŭn'də-měn'tl-ĭz'əm) n.
|
A conservative movement in theology among nineteenth- and twentieth-century Christians. Fundamentalists believe that the statements in the Bible are literally true.
Note: Fundamentalists often argue against the theory of evolution. (See Scopes trial.)
fundamentalism
type of militantly conservative religious movement characterized by the advocacy of strict conformity to sacred texts. Once used exclusively to refer to American Protestants who insisted on the inerrancy of the Bible, the term fundamentalism was applied more broadly beginning in the late 20th century to a wide variety of religious movements. Indeed, in the broad sense of the term, many of the major religions of the world may be said to have fundamentalist movements. For a discussion of fundamentalism in American Protestantism, see fundamentalism, Christian.
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