ABOUT THIS BOOK

Bible believer (also Bible-believer,Bible-believing Christian,Bible-believing Church) is a self-description by conservative Christians to differentiate their teachings from others who see non- or extrabiblical tradition as higher or equal in authority.

In normal usage, "Bible believer" means an individual or organisation that believes the Christian Bible is true in some significant way. However, this combination of words is given a unique meaning in fundamentalist Protestant circles, where it is equated with the belief that the Christian Bible "contains no theological contradictions, historical discrepancies, or other such 'errors'", otherwise known as biblical inerrancy.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Nancy Tatom Ammerman spent a year in 1979-1980 participating in, observing, and interviewing the members of a suburban Connecticut congregation, described on its church sign as "Independent, Fundamental, Premillennial, and Baptistic." Although she is not a fundamentalist, Ammerman's own background was similar enough for her to fit in easily and to be accepted and trusted.

REVIEWS

"This is a superior work--impeccable in its scholarship and marked by a fine human sensibility. It is a significant contribution to our understanding of this particular faith community, and, beyond that, to the sociology of religion as a discipline."

— Peter Berger, Boston University

"Adroitly describes and analyzes the worldview of fundamentalists today... a must for all libraries."

— Choice

"An excellent book, one that could become a model for congregational studies. It seeks an experiential as well as an empirical understanding of the life and faith of a congregation of people. It is fair and readable."

— Church History

"Required reading for those who are tired of the liberal penchant or fundamentalist-bashing and would like an objective yet sympathetic study of this important movement... I highly recommend this empathetic study."

— Walter J. Benjamin, The Christian Century

"A comprehensive profile of what it is and what it means to be a fundamentalist in our time."

— Journal of Church and State

"Anyone who as ever spent time in a fundamentalist church will experience deja vu all over again reading Nancy Ammerman's ethnography... The strength of her fine works is her acute and empathetic observation... judicious, sympathetic, and readable."

— Journal of the American Academy of Religion

Adroitly describes and analyzes the worldview of fundamentalists today... a must for all libraries.— Choice

Anyone who as ever spent time in a fundamentalist church will experience deja vu all over again reading Nancy Ammerman's ethnography... The strength of her fine works is her acute and empathetic observation... judicious, sympathetic, and readable.— Journal of the American Academy of Religion

A comprehensive profile of what it is and what it means to be a fundamentalist in our time.— Journal of Church and State

This is a superior work--impeccable in its scholarship and marked by a fine human sensibility. It is a significant contribution to our understanding of this particular faith community, and, beyond that, to the sociology of religion as a discipline.— Peter Berger, Boston University

Required reading for those who are tired of the liberal penchant or fundamentalist-bashing and would like an objective yet sympathetic study of this important movement... I highly recommend this empathetic study.— Walter J. Benjamin,, The Christian Century

An excellent book, one that could become a model for congregational studies. It seeks an experiential as well as an empirical understanding of the life and faith of a congregation of people. It is fair and readable.— Church History

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents
Preface vii
1 Introduction 1
2 Fundamentalist Forebears 17
3 Southside Gospel Church 25
4 Being Always Ready to Give an Answer 40
5 On Light and Darkness 72
6 The Assembling Together of Believers 103
7 The Shepherd and His Flock 120
8 Husband and Wives 134
9 Bringing Them In 147
10 The Nature and Admonition of the Lord 167
11 Fundamentalists in the Modern World 188
Notes 213
Bibliography 227
Index 241