Page "Christian fundamentalism" Paragraph 5

Fundamentalism had multiple roots in British and American theology of the 19th century.

One root was Dispensationalism, a new interpretation of the Bible developed in the 1830s in England.

It was a millenarian theory that divided all of time into seven different stages, called " dispensations ," which were seen as stages of God's revelation.

At the end of each stage, according to this theory, God punished humanity for having been found wanting in God's testing.

Secularism, liberalism, and immorality in the 1920s were believed to be signs that humanity had again failed God's testing.

This means that the world is on the verge of the last stage, where a final battle will take place at Armageddon, followed by Christ's return and 1, 000 year reign.

One important sign is the rebirth of Israel, support for which became the centerpiece of Fundamentalist foreign policy.