Reaffirmation

   Before reading this book I had to look up what Fundamentalism with a capital "F" meant. It refers to a group of Christians who call themselves Bible-believing and whom refuse to accept modern history, science and modern ideology's such as feminism. Jewry Falwell seemed to me as someone who capitalized on this movement as it was beginning in America and thus rode its cost tails into great influence. He was full of contradictions, just as any religion is, and thus his followers had to "decide to believe in him over and over, must ceaselessly read the gaps not as ploys or lies or sins, but as little miracles, as signs of election, as travails of a monumental man, and in doing so join him in a kind of divine complicity," (p. 104). To me if you have to repeat yourself over and over again then that means that your message wasn't getting through to people, however, in this case Jerry Falwell wasn't necessarily repeating himself, but rather in an effort to reaffirm their believe in Fundamentalist Chrisitanity believers had to "re-believe" him everytime he preached a sermon in person or over the radio. This is remarkable to me because its a way of reaffirming ones faith that very few seems to partake in. While I also believe that in reaffirming ones faith one should question it, the Bible-believing Chrisitans aren't attempting to have a deeper understanding of their faith, but rather reinstate its already expected value and rituals into their minds everytime they hear Jerry Falwell speak. 

-Ciara Williams