Fidelity without Fundamentalism: A Dialogue with Tradition

As religious believers feel themselves more threatened by the modern world, they increasingly often turn to fundamentalism. The fundamentalist argues that attempts to engage with contemporary culture will only end in the watering down of the Christian message to suit the passing whims of the age. In Fidelity without Fundamentalism Gerard J. Hughes shows that in fact being a truly faithful Christian involves avoiding fundamentalism; to be faithful just is to express our faith in a way that respects contemporary knowledge. Conventional presentations of Christianity often require thoughtful believers to sweep under the rug a whole host of issues which it is thought they should be protected from for fear they might undermine their faith. The longer term effect of this, consciously or unconsciously, is to corrode their Christian commitment. This brilliant, accessible and timely book shows the inquisitive Christian how to reconcile their everyday contemporary world view with what is truly essential to Christianity.… (more)