What is the difference between fundie and evangelical?

[BrownieMomma]

I looked in the FJ Dictionary and FAQ and a few other places but I can't find this defined anywhere.

I'm fuzzy on how these terms are defined here, can someone help me out here?

Thanks.

[tralala]

I think the biggest difference is the treatment of their women. Evangelicals are still batshit with their level of faith, but their women still go to college, maybe pursue a career outside the home, probably use family planning techniques, wear pants and modest tank tops. They might use KJV or a more modern bible, like the NIV. This all thrown in with beliefs in restricting reproductive rights, putting Jesus and prayer back in schools, if they don't send their kids to a private christian school, and going out and proselytizing at any given opportunity.

A fundie believes in total control of women, isn't keen on post secondary, refuses birth control even down to NFP. Women wear skirts at least, full on prarie frumpers with head coverings at most. They only read the KJV. They're way more removed from mainstream society, even if they venture out from time to time to enjoy being with their family's or witness to the lost~

At least, this is the differentiation I've noticed between the two.

[tamster59]

Evangelical does have lot to do with beliefs that can get complicated to write. For this forum one can say evangelicals have more contemporary music in their churches,many send their kids to public school like we did and they joined Boy Scouts,Girl Scouts,youth groups,regular kid stuff.stuff. Woman are allowed to be ordained in many Evangelical churches.We attend a United Methodist church with 2 female pastors who are in charge of everyone.

Churches do have Sunday school classes with nursery to no one under 4 in the main service.

Many drink ,celebrate Halloween and believe in Santa Claus.

[Firiel]

Much of US Christian culture was shaped by the Evangelical movement: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelicalism

Evangelicals (especially in the US) tend to be conservative, but there are certainly progressive people who consider themselves Evangelicals. Generally, the fundies we discuss (American Christians) are a subset of Evangelical culture, but not always. For instance, we sometimes discuss Mormon or Amish or Jewish people, none of whom would be Evangelical but who could definitely be fundamentalist.

[Jessica]

Evangelical - See Joyce Meyer or the movie "Jesus Camp."

Fundie - See Maxwell family.

[Cheetah]

There's a lot of overlap. Fundamentalist implies that they believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible. Evangelical actually means "of the gospel" but the more modern use is sharing the good news, aka trying to convert people. So you can have Fundamentalists who aren't very evangelical and Evangelicals who aren't fundamentalist, but a lot of these people we discuss here are really both.

[Four is Enough]

Interesting. I was thinking to ask the other day about where Joyce Meyer fit into all of this picture.. now I have the answers. I'm supposing the Duggars wouldn't stand up on a stage with her, though.

ETA: And the people who handle snakes, get down on the floor and wiggle, and speak in tongues... ... cross all borders? or are they in a weird sect all their own?

[tamster59]

I forgot many evangelicals will vote for democrats .Also not condemn those who are gay or in a gay marriage. Also walk into an Evangelical church and ask who is divorced and not shunned out,

[TXGirlInAMaterialWorld]

I once heard someone say that Evangelicals are all about reaching out, where Fundies are all about reaching in. And I can agree with that for the most part.

I think Evangelicals are more about spreading the Gospel- in the USA and in Missions all over the world. Evangelicals make me think of the Avon lady who stalks you through the grocery store to ask about your skincare routine- they are ready to reach'em and teach'em wherever they may be.

Fundies are more about showing their lifestyle but they believe that only a select few of the speshul chosen can attain the level of piety needed to be Quiverfull. I really see Fundies only doing outreach to their own ilk- circling the wagons and building up their pet Fundie organizations(ATI, IBLP, FRC, etc.).

[nolongerIFBx]

I think the biggest difference is the treatment of their women. Evangelicals are still batshit with their level of faith, but their women still go to college, maybe pursue a career outside the home, probably use family planning techniques, wear pants and modest tank tops. They might use KJV or a more modern bible, like the NIV. This all thrown in with beliefs in restricting reproductive rights, putting Jesus and prayer back in schools, if they don't send their kids to a private christian school, and going out and proselytizing at any given opportunity.

A fundie believes in total control of women, isn't keen on post secondary, refuses birth control even down to NFP. Women wear skirts at least, full on prarie frumpers with head coverings at most. They only read the KJV. They're way more removed from mainstream society, even if they venture out from time to time to enjoy being with their family's or witness to the lost~

At least, this is the differentiation I've noticed between the two.

And I thought I was at least still fundie-lite. Guess I am evangelical now.

I think Evangelicals are more about spreading the Gospel- in the USA and in Missions all over the world. Evangelicals make me think of the Avon lady who stalks you through the grocery store to ask about your skincare routine- they are ready to reach'em and teach'em wherever they may be.

I spent far too many Thursday nights and Saturdays knocking on doors in South Chicago and Longview/Kilgore, TX to agree with that.

[Jana814]

Evangelical - See Joyce Meyer or the movie "Jesus Camp."

Fundie - See Maxwell family.

Great explination!!

[louisa05]

Interesting. I was thinking to ask the other day about where Joyce Meyer fit into all of this picture.. now I have the answers. I'm supposing the Duggars wouldn't stand up on a stage with her, though.

ETA: And the people who handle snakes, get down on the floor and wiggle, and speak in tongues... ... cross all borders? or are they in a weird sect all their own?

Pentecostals, neo-Pentecostals or Charismatics. They go by different names. Those sects emphasize the works of the Holy Spirit as in the Pentecost recorded in Acts. The majority of Evangelicals and Fundamentalists believe that those "gifts" (tongues, prophecies, etc...) disappeared after the Apostolic age ended and do not practice them. The school I taught at had a mix of Charismatics and garden-variety Evangelicals which led to a lot of conflict over those issues.

[browncoatslytherin]

Pentecostals, neo-Pentecostals or Charismatics. They go by different names. Those sects emphasize the works of the Holy Spirit as in the Pentecost recorded in Acts. The majority of Evangelicals and Fundamentalists believe that those "gifts" (tongues, prophecies, etc...) disappeared after the Apostolic age ended and do not practice them. The school I taught at had a mix of Charismatics and garden-variety Evangelicals which led to a lot of conflict over those issues.

we had a pentecostal girl at the christian school i went to when i was in my junior year. she seemed nice. she was a super girly-girl. she wore skirts ALL the time, except for gym, but i'm not sure if it was her girly-girlness or if that was only what was allowed. we held a performance for our drama group at their church once. when they "bowed in prayer", they all lifted their hands and they all started praying their own prayers out loud along with the pastor. it was kind of weird to us who had never seen anything like that before. i got a weird vibe off of the place. i'm glad we only went there once.

[lisa_m]

I think Evangelicals aren't into courtship.

[Grimalkin]

Evangelicals make me think of people listening to contemporary Christian music, while swaying, eyes closed, hand raised....... So uncomfortable.

[Sundaymorning]

Well, I think. like with lots of things, everybody has a bit of their own definition.

I'll give you mine, it might also differ a bit from country to country.

Evangelical: conservative Christians who are generally against stuff like gay marriage and abortion. Divorce is not liked, but under some circumstances, they might accept one. They might also be against things like having sex before marriage. But generally they are a bit more accepting of people that are different to them than fundies. Women do get to wear pants and have any hair style they like, they might not dress in extreme mini-skirts, but other than that they do dress pretty much like everyone else, they also might work. Kids go to public or a private Christian school, and they can go to a "normal" college, which means either a more conservative public one or a "Christian" one, but moderate. Kids get to date and don't have to be chaperoned all the time. Children have a bit from freedom, they get to meet with their friends at the mall or go to a movie with them, and they aren't stuck at home all the time playing sister-mom to their younger siblings. The kids and the family in general partakes in "normal" actitivies such as sports temas, summer camp, having friends which aren't in your family, they also usually have a tv where they watch all kinds of stuff. They might also go out with their friends sometimes and have some beers. Parents might have a few children but they usually use some kind birth control. They listen to basically all kinds of music, especially modern Christian music, but also styles like pop or country, and watch all kinds of movies (as long as they aren't really nc-rated). They might not believe in evolution, but rather "intelligent design", but only a few will really claim that the earth is only 6000 years old. They believe in modern medicine and don't think that every gynecologist is out to molest women. The political party for them (my guess, since I'm not from the US) would be the Republicans righter wing. They might go to a conservative mega-church which has Sunday school and separate programms for kids and teens.

Fundie: homeschooling, and no college for kids. Gay marriage and abortion are the most horrible sins ever. No divorce under no circumstances. Women have to wear skirts which cover at least the knee all the time and have long hair. Great emphasis on patriarchy and the submission of women. Women may not have a career since their role is to be a helpmeet and look after the children and the household. No birth control ever, as every child is a blessing of the Lord. No "modern" music, only old hyms, also no tv. Very narrow world-view, everyone who doesn't agree with them is either to be converted or avoided, gays are of the devil. No tv, secular movies or alcohol. Courting instead of dating where the kids are heavily chaperoned. No kissing and definitely no sex before marriage. The firm belief that the earth is 6000 years old. Many believe in some crazy conspiracy theories and hate modern medicine while thinking that using stuff like collodial silver and essential oils for every disease possible is actually a good idea. They often hate the Republicans as they think they are way too left-wing and liberal and vote for crazy independent candidates and small extreme right-wing parties like the Constitution party. They believe in family-integrated church and would never send their kids to Sunday school or special teen programs.

Fundie lite: For me, this is a degree between evangelical and fundie. Many familes actually represent both fundie and evangelical characteristics. Kids may go to college for example, but only to a really conservative Christian one like Bob Jones university. Women may wear pants but usually have to stay at home to look after the kids, and they while they aren't as crazy patriarchal as full-blown fundies, they might embrace theories like complementarianism.

Obviously, these are only theoretical descriptions, no family is the same and and you would have to look at the whole picture in order to evaluate if they belong to the evangelical, fundie or fundie lite group.

[alba]

Evangelicals aren't necessarily conservative Christians. Evangelicalism also encompasses churches that focus on showing Jesus' love and acceptance by campaigning for same-sex marriage and volunteering in homeless shelters, without attaching any strings to it. They're the kind of people you can know for years and have no idea they identify as Christian until they tell you that the driving force behind their lives is that Jesus tells his followers to love one another. Because of this, of course, most people don't realise that evangelicalism includes such people, because they don't realise these people are Christian, let alone evangelical. Of course, there are plenty of evangelicals who are conservative and who proselytize, but they're also the most visible and identifiable as evangelical.

[louisa05]

Evangelicals make me think of people listening to contemporary Christian music, while swaying, eyes closed, hand raised....... So uncomfortable.

Most Fundamentalist churches do not allow contemporary music or raising hands. But at the same time, a lot of evangelicals are uncomfortable with such demonstrations as hand raising and swaying. One Christian school I know of is firmly evangelical and does not allow any "charismatic expression" in worship--by which they mean hand raising and physical movement beyond occasional clapping to a beat.

Meanwhile the Charismatics (and they are generally more liberal than those who maintain the name "Pentecostal" although the theology and practice is similar) go way beyond hand-raising or swaying. There were many Charismatics at the school I taught at. Praise and worship at the weekly chapel services included people jumping, yelling, dancing in the aisles, waving arms frantically. Another teacher and I standing on the bleachers behind a visiting college-aged kid from a Charismatic church one day were nearly punched in the face because he was raising his hands over his head to punch the air behind him while screaming "jesus" in time to the music. We spent the entire song ducking to avoid being decked. A church in the area took up flags as a form of worship once and we had kids in the back of the room waving flag corps style flags while singing. All of this was frequently accompanied by some Charismatic kid being the "worship leader" of the day and chastising the not-so-expressive staff and students for not being willing to worship God because we preferred to stand still.

[Palimpsest]

I once heard someone say that Evangelicals are all about reaching out, where Fundies are all about reaching in. And I can agree with that for the most part.

I think Evangelicals are more about spreading the Gospel- in the USA and in Missions all over the world. Evangelicals make me think of the Avon lady who stalks you through the grocery store to ask about your skincare routine- they are ready to reach'em and teach'em wherever they may be.

Fundies are more about showing their lifestyle but they believe that only a select few of the speshul chosen can attain the level of piety needed to be Quiverfull. I really see Fundies only doing outreach to their own ilk- circling the wagons and building up their pet Fundie organizations(ATI, IBLP, FRC, etc.).

I agree and really like the bolded as a simple explanation. There is some overlap between Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians.

Fundamentalists are more into "biblical separation" and isolate themselves - not hanging out with evil people who don't believe exactly what they do. They are also much more into Patriarchal thinking but not all Fundies are necessarily Quiverfull. That's a comparatively new phenomenom.

Fundamentalists are also more against regular cultural norms like higher education, more into the total inerrancy of the Bible, more likely to designate which Bible translation is the best (like KJV), more likely to be skirts only, and more likely to be legalistic and petty in general.

Fundamentalists are more likely to be anti-evolution, which most Evangelicals would find a negotiable concept, more likely to be virulently anti-Catholic, and most Fundamentalists think "ecumenical" is a four letter word. Evangelical Christians are generally much more open to inclusiveness.

[louisa05]

I agree and really like the bolded as a simple explanation. There is some overlap between Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians.

Fundamentalists are more into "biblical separation" and isolate themselves - not hanging out with evil people who don't believe exactly what they do. They are also much more into Patriarchal thinking but not all Fundies are necessarily Quiverfull. That's a comparatively new phenomenom.

Fundamentalists are also more against regular cultural norms like higher education, more into the total inerrancy of the Bible, more likely to designate which Bible translation is the best (like KJV), more likely to be skirts only, and more likely to be legalistic and petty in general.

Fundamentalists are more likely to be anti-evolution, which most Evangelicals would find a negotiable concept, more likely to be virulently anti-Catholic, and most Fundamentalists think "ecumenical" is a four letter word. Evangelical Christians are generally much more open to inclusiveness.

"Virulently" is the key word there. My Fundie relatives think I'm going to hell in a handbasket for becoming Catholic. My evangelical friends and relatives think I'll be okay because (one actually said this), I was "probably already saved before". Another evangelical friend watched a lot of coverage which told about John Paul II's life at the time he died and told me, with shock in his voice, "I think he may have been a believer". Yes, the pope may have believed in Jesus. Imagine that.

[MamaJunebug]

I fully understand that this is a Snark site but I still felt offended when the word "batshit" was almost immediately used to describe evangelicals.

Growing up in the 50s and 60s in the second most conservative Lutheran churchbody, I was instructed that "evangelical" described in the belief that Jesus Christ is the center of a religion. And I think that strictly speaking, that is still true.

Jesus is considered the Evangel, and offhand I don't exactly remember the precise definition of that word, but "the messenger of God and God himself" comes close. So, an evangelical church is one that teaches that Jesus -- not our works -- gives us salvation.

I also fully understand that conservative nutjobs have co-opted the word and I have no quibble with any of the definitions that have been provided here. I just wanted to pause to give what I understand to be the original, pre-Jerry Falwell, Et. Al.,-era definition.

Thanks for your patience! As you were...

[Sundaymorning]

I fully understand that this is a Snark site but I still felt offended when the word "batshit" was almost immediately used to describe evangelicals.

Growing up in the 50s and 60s in the second most conservative Lutheran churchbody, I was instructed that "evangelical" described in the belief that Jesus Christ is the center of a religion. And I think that strictly speaking, that is still true.

Jesus is considered the Evangel, and offhand I don't exactly remember the precise definition of that word, but "the messenger of God and God himself" comes close. So, an evangelical church is one that teaches that Jesus -- not our works -- gives us salvation.

I also fully understand that conservative nutjobs have co-opted the word and I have no quibble with any of the definitions that have been provided here. I just wanted to pause to give what I understand to be the original, pre-Jerry Falwell, Et. Al.,-era definition.

Thanks for your patience! As you were...

Very interesting post, you are right, when I come ot think about it, according to my church membership, I would actually be an evangelical too.

It's funny how we in the German language usually use two different words, evangelisch would be the adjective to descripe someone who belongs to a church which teaches salvation by faith and not works. Most of these churches are pretty liberal in general.

When we say evangelikal, we mostly mean the (very) conservative wing of these churches and church members.

[J'Beka]

Evangelicals make me think of people listening to contemporary Christian music, while swaying, eyes closed, hand raised....... So uncomfortable.

I was raised in a "non denominational" church where we did this, but also speaking in tongues, laying of hands, running, tambourines, etc. We had a female pastor (her husband was the pastor but he passed away) very republican, anti gay, but pro birth control.

ETA: Also anti catholic, alcohol, and Halloween.

[Mama Mia]

I was raised in a "non denominational" church where we did this, but also speaking in tongues, laying of hands, running, tambourines, etc. We had a female pastor (her husband was the pastor but he passed away) very republican, anti gay, but pro birth control.

ETA: Also anti catholic, alcohol, and Halloween.

A very interesting and informative thread! In my area we have Charismatic Catholic Churches......where do those fall in? Anyone else have any experience with that?

[FoxyMoxie]

Charismatic describes both Protestants and Catholics (no idea as to whether charismatic Orthodox exist!). I tend to view charismatic as a adjective rather than a noun. I think the same would go for fundamentalist - you can get fundamentalists of all religions and denominations, though in the US you're mostly going to get fundie Protestants.

I think Anglicans and Lutherans both tend to use 'evangelical' as shorthand for 'low church' as opposed to more Catholic type churches. Certainly in the UK I'd describe both charismatic and reformed types as evangelical, just distinguishing between charismatic evangelicals and conservative/reformed evangelicals (not that charismatics can't be conservative!). So to me Baptists are evangelicals, and I think most UK Baptists would describe themselves as such. Clearly in the US this differs. The United Reformed Church, Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) and some UK Baptists are both reformed and evangelical and pretty liberal.

Snake handling is pretty rare and definitely not something that happens at most charismatic churches, gifts of the Spirit (prophecy, speaking in tongues, healing etc) do. Churches that believe that these gifts ended with the Apostles are called cessationist. In the UK most Pentecostals are Caribbean or African.

MamaJunebug - Catholics would very much see Christ as the centre of their religion! So would you see them as evangelicals, maybe small-e evangelicals as opposed to Evangelicals?

EDIT - I'm v tired after travelling and not sure I explained charismatic Catholics very well! I just meant that imo charismatic can describe both Catholics and Protestants who believe in speaking in tongues etc, not that all Catholics are charismatic.