Do Fundamentalists (Actually) Follow Jesus?

Episode Outline:
0:00 Do fundamentalist Christians actually follow the ethical teachings of Jesus?
0:54 Bart and Megan on sabbatical writing, outlining, fast drafting, and scholarship grants
4:20 Why this question depends on reconstructing what Jesus really taught historically
6:13 Why scholars broadly agree on the main ethical framework of Jesus’ message
9:08 The Jewish scriptural background behind Jesus’ ethics
12:49 How Jesus’ ethical teaching stays fairly consistent across Matthew, Mark, and Luke
15:00 Why Jesus radicalizes the command to love your neighbor
17:26 Break: Bart’s Genesis course promo
19:47 How John shifts the emphasis from loving everyone to love within the Christian community
22:13 What “fundamentalism” usually means and how it overlaps with evangelicalism
24:59 How modern fundamentalism became more about social and political identity than doctrine
27:45 Where fundamentalist priorities conflict with or ignore Jesus’ teachings
31:31 Why Jesus’ universal ethic cuts against nationalism and insider-first morality
34:41 Do fundamentalists realize the gap between Jesus’ message and their agenda?
37:48 Why the prosperity gospel is almost the opposite of what Jesus taught about wealth
41:37 Would Jesus have approved of modern fundamentalism?
43:08 Weekly Update: upcoming New Testament and Quran comparative course
45:18 Bart’s Soapbox: people writing books without doing the reading
50:29 Final summary: many core fundamentalist ethical priorities are absent from, or contrary to, Jesus’ own teachings

Episode Description
Every Christian fundamentalist on the planet, of course, claims that they follow Jesus. Avidly. But do they? Why do so many seem to overlook or ignore many of Jesus' key teachings? Surely they know what he said about loving the enemy and the foreigner? Why do they claim that Jesus said things he never, actually, talked about (many of the most pressing social questions fundamentalists are keen on)? Is being a fundamentalist these days less about believing the "fundamental" doctirnes of the faith and more about having the correct social and political views? What would Jesus make of Falwell and his Followers?

Also watch these episodes:
Finding Jesus in Genesis
Finding Jesus in Genesis

Why Fundamentalism is Not (Always) Such a Bad Thing. Take Bart for example...
Why Fundamentalism is Not (Always) Such a Bad Thing. Take Bart for example...

Can Christians Study the New Testament Honestly?
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Megan asks about:
-Scholars have long known that it is difficult to know what Jesus actually taught. Could you e-plain something about that briefly?

-Even if there are problems with knowing e-actly what Jesus taught, is there much dispute about his ethical teachings?

-Is there a big difference between what the Gospels say Jesus taught as his ethics and what you think the historical Jesus actually taught?

-What would you say are the overriding values that Jesus is presented as promoting?

-What parts of the Jewish Bible does he privilege, then?

-Do these differ substantially between the gospels?

-Why would Jesus make that change?

-How is John different from what we’ve discussed?

-Who e-actly are we talking about when we say “fundamentalist Christian”?

-What would you say are the core concerns or beliefs of fundamentalist Christians?

-In what ways would you say that fundamentalist behaviour and concerns are in line with Jesus’ teachings?

-Do fundamentalists see a discrepancy there?

-How does the Prosperity Gospel line up against Jesus’ teachings?

-Do you think that Jesus would have approved of modern fundamentalism?