'Fundamentalism' and The Word of God - JI Packer

Published by Inter-Varsity Fellowship: London, 1963 (1958).

A little while ago I realised I was feeling a bit flat. Looking back over my recent reading, I also realised I hadn't read a Christian book in a while (aside from an ongoing commentary which I'll eventually finish). Putting the two together I picked up this book, and am glad I did.

J I Packer is a theologian I have read in the past, probably most well-known for his book Knowing God, which some day I will review on this site. He is both Conservative and Evangelical in theology (which I would mostly consider myself) while also being Calvinist (which I would not consider myself). In this book Packer is writing in response to attacks by Liberal Christianity on the idea of 'Fundamentalism', especially responding to a book published a few years before this one by an author called Dr Herbert.

The interesting thing about reading on this topic, is realising how little the attacks have changed in the last 60 years. Packer states that Liberals are creating caricatures of Fundamentalists, and are failing to ask why their opponents believe what they do (page 17). Straw-men are created to such a degree that Packer quickly rejects the term 'Fundamentalist' at all, stating that it has become such a derogatory term it is like a swear-word (page 30), making it hard to have an open and fair debate! Instead, for much of the book he uses the term 'Evangelical' instead.

Whichever term is used, the main attack levelled against 'Conservative' theology is that it is unfaithful to the evidence of reality, that it is decidedly 'anti-intellectual' (page 32) in the way it elevates Scripture above 'reason', and that it is, as a result, 'off-putting' to seekers.

In response, Packer highlights that Jesus himself spoke very highly of Scripture, using it as the final word in any argument (page 55) and centering his entire mission on Earth around its fulfilment. The apostles and early church also used Scripture as a synonym for 'God's Word.' Rather than being close-minded, then, Packer argues, the Evangelical is opening their mind to the fact that the Bible speaks truth and that we should begin our theological reason there, rather than with Church tradition or Christian reason, both of which change over time. We need to begin with this solid foundation, "because Christianity is built on truth: that is to say, on the content of a divine revelation. Christianity announces salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, in and through whom that revelation came to completion: but faith in Jesus is possible only where the truth concerning Him is known." (page 42).  Starting with in a Biblical Foundation may be unpopular - especially when it means standing against prevailing world-views - but it is the only way of making sure our faith remains constant in what it holds important. It is not optional, Packer says, "for Christians to sit loose to what God has said, and treat questions which He has closed as if they were still open." (page 122). 

Such a foundation is faith-building rather than faith-shaking because it allows the believer to build in confidence their articles of faith, rather than beginning to wonder which aspects of Scripture may be 'less reliable.' It also provides a great foundation to begin asking questions from - if we take God's Word as His self-revelation and His truth to begin with, we can examine the world around us with a greater confidence. The difference between the faith-filled perspective and the worldly perspective, should be that "Whereas the non-Christian is led by faithless reason, the Christian should be guided by reasoning faith."(page 128). This doesn't mean that the Evangelical view closes their eyes to the 'truth' of the world, but rather that they begin with the understanding that articles of faith can be built safely upon what God has revealed: "The proper basis for believing is, on the one hand, the acknowledgment that God speaks only truth and, on the other, the recognition of what is proposed as something which He Himself has said." (page 117).

Packer has much more nuance in his book than I have highlighted here, or will be able to in this review. It is a faith-building read, and one that I recommend, for Conservatives and Liberals alike.

Completed 13 July 2021.

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