An old question sits as the basis of James C. Alexander’s Stories of a Recovering Fundamentalist: Understanding and Responding to Christian Absolutism. That question is: “Can human beings know absolute truth?” Some have answered that question to the affirmative and Alexander’s book seeks to observe the claims of that answer and the impact such absolutism has on religion and culture.
As an ordained minister with an extensive history as a part of the Jesus Freak Movement of the 60s and 70s, Alexander’s book is a steeped in his experiences as a fundamentalist. The book is highlighted with several examples of absolutism taking from his life with fundamentalism and his ultimate departure from the movement.
Absolutism is defined as “the belief that certain individuals possess absolute, undeniable, indisputable truth (pg. 11).” Alexander describes his background in the perspective of this belief, fleshing out stories of his life as “the fat kid who was always jerking his body and making all the weird noises (pg. 11).” He suffered from Tourette’s syndrome, but tells stories about how many in the Jesus Freak Movement thought he needed an exorcism.
Citing numerous sources, Alexander makes the case for Christianity as myth. He postulates that absolutism is a view towards Christianity that is based around a very basic inaccuracy. Using Karen Armstrong’s brilliant 2000 book The Battle for God, Alexander describes fundamentalism as the “product of mistaking the mythos for the logos (pg. 19).” Basically, fundamentalists tend to view myth as considerable, inevitable truth. The Bible becomes complete, factual truth.
Noting that myths are “super true (pg. 23),” Alexander describes how the view of Christianity as an ultimate and greater truth rather than a literal and logistical truth can alter the ground on which believers stand. He suggests, rightly, that we need both types of truth in life: the scientific and the mythological (logos and mythos).
With this framework, Alexander proceeds to lay out a momentous elucidation of what absolutism looks like. Based around five crucial characteristics, he articulates a case that suggests absolutism is based on a fundamental confusion of mythos with logos, metaphorical truth with literal truth, and absolute answers with constant seeking.
Absolutism, Alexander argues, betrays Christianity. He points to three specific ways that it does this: “It replaces historical doctrines with beliefs without root in tradition, reason, or scripture. It replaces the central (Protestant) view of the competency of the individual with a top-down clerical absolutism. Finally, it replaces love with harsh and exacting laws (pg. 36).” Citing Bruce Bawer’s fantastic 1997 book Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity, Alexander fleshes out his points.
Article comments
1 - Rev. Jim Johnson
Jamees Alexander's book goes for the jugular in fundamentalist theology. It is believable because it is not only James's story but the story of thousands of Christians in America. James has written for us all. The book was as cathargic for me as it must have been for James Alexander.