Fundamentalism as a Mindset
David French
Christian fundamentalists have become associated with the political movement led by former President Donald Trump. The fundamentalist “mindset” has also been closely associated with the evangelical movement as they play a major role in his supporter base.
Evangelical Republicans made him president, evangelical Republicans almost made him president again, and evangelical Republicans may make him president again this November despite the divorce, infidelity, hush money, being found liable for sexual assault in a court by a jury — we can do this all day — the attempt to steal the election. The foundation of his power through all of those scandals is evangelical Christians.
David French
Yet, David French has a broader understanding of the fundamentalist mindset in the United States. For instance, many people have trouble understanding how certain religious voters have stood by the former president despite all his personal scandals. David French’s broader understanding provides insight into this apparent contradiction in his remarks to Baptist News.
Don’t think of fundamentalism as a theology. Think of it as a psychology. Because there isn’t one set fundamentalist theology. You can have Calvinists and Arminians going hammer and tongs after each other.
David French
About David French
David is a senior editor at The Dispatch and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. A graduate of Harvard Law School, David was previously a senior writer for National Review and a columnist for Time. He is a former constitutional litigator and a past president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. David is a New York Times bestselling author, and his most recent book, Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation, was released last September. David is a former major in the United States Army Reserve and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was awarded the Bronze Star.
