Stories of a Recovering Fundamentalist: Understanding and Responding to Christian Absolutism

James Alexander grew up in Kansas City, Missouri where he was part of the Jesus Movement in the early 1970's. For a few years, he lived in a commune and spent most of his days street witnessing. It was during his "Jesus Freak" days that James began to seriously question the fundamentalism which was rampant among his co-religionists. Eventually, he renounced fundamentalism as basically flawed. After graduating from college, James taught first-grade and primary level remedial reading for several years. He is an ordained minister who has served congregations in the Church of the Brethren and Cumberland Presbyterian denominations. He attended Central Baptist Theological Seminary (American Baptist) and graduated with honors from St. Thomas Theological Seminary (Roman Catholic). He has completed additional studies through Regents College Seminary in Vancouver, BC. He also holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Arkansas with an emphasis in literacy education and educational psychology and serves as a professor of education in a church-affiliated college. He has published many articles and book chapters related to education, philosophy, and the psychology of reading as well as several articles in religious publications including Brethren Life and Thought and Memphis Theological Seminary Journal. In 2003-2004, James completed a major study of small congregation dynamics for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The study resulted in a book on small church health and vitality entitled The (Very) Small Church Revival Guide, which is available from the Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Christian Education. Dr. Alexander and his wife, Irene, a special education teacher, have two adult sons, Aaron, a software engineer and Galen, a sociologist. James and Irene reside in Kentucky. They are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first grandchild.