Differences Between Machen And Fosdick

During the nineteenth and twentieth century, there was a great change introduced for American Protestantism. Old beliefs were being challenged greatly by liberals as well as conservatives holding to their traditions, attitudes, and beliefs ignoring liberalism. Protestant churches were experiencing intense and frequent conflicts between liberals and conservatives. Fosdick and Machen took part in this theological battle. The battle of these two men shaped Christianity in the twentieth century. Harry Emerson Fosdick took part in defending liberal Protestantism while John Gresham Machen argued for the traditional values of Christianity. The three areas of disagreement between Fosdick and Machen’s belief were centered around their views of the

A major difference between Machen and Fosdick’s beliefs revolved around their views of the Bible. Machen believes strictly that the Bible is the Word of God. Therefore, he believes if it is preached in the Bible, it has to be true. Machen states the only truth is Christianity, in which is taught in the Bible. Machen believes God created this Bible by the use of the world that he created and the ordering of the lives of his creatures. Machen states, “Christianity during many centuries has consistently appealed for the truth of its claims, not merely and not even primarily to current experience, but to certain ancient books the most recent of which was written some nineteen hundred years ago” (Machen, 4). Machen lives by this book and believes the Bible is the only way to Christianity. In contrast,

Frequent conflicts occurred between conservatives and liberals. There were two groups associated with the Christian church; the fundamentalists and the liberals. Machen and the fundamentalists argue that anyone who denies the Christian name should be shut against the doors of Christian fellowship. If Machen had his way, he would exclude all liberals from all Protestant churches. Machen states, “If a condition could be conceived in which all the preaching of the Church should be controlled by the liberalism which in many quarters has already become preponderant, then, we believe, Christianity would at last have perished from the earth and the gospel would have sounded forth for the last time” (Machen, 7). He is arguing that if the churches are controlled by liberals, then eventually Christianity will vanish from all of earth. Machen shows no sympathy for the liberals in anything he does. On the other hand, Fosdick concludes that there could perhaps be two different groups taught in the Christian church. Fosdick often mentions, “Here in the Christian church today are these two groups, and the question which the Fundamentalists have raised is this-Shall one of them drive the other out? Is not the Christian church large enough to hold within her hospitable fellowship people who differ on points like this and agree to differ until the fuller truth be manifested?”