Fascinating Authors

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Tell us a little bit about your book.

Author:  The title is Stories of a Recovering Fundamentalist:  Understanding and Responding to Christianity Absolutism.  The title is significant.  The book is:
1.  A collection of stories, or it might be better to say a collection of short episodes from my life telling of my experiences as a fundamentalist.
2.  A book dealing with the process of recovery from a fundamentalist lifestyle and outlook.
3.  An organized statement of facts and research regarding Christian absolutism (fundamentalism).
4.  A suggested response to the phenomena of fundamentalism.

– In all of this I need to note that my focus is not on weird fundamentalist polygamous cults or groups mixing up “Jim Jones” Kool Aid.  I am writing about your fundamentalist neighbors and family.  We are talking about, maybe, a third of the US population.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What inspired you to create a work of non-fiction?

Author:  It is non-fiction.  But, don’t forget the memoir aspects of the book.  Writing the book filled a need within me to do some “hardcore” research, put it together, and still tell a good story.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What did you do to prepare – such as research – to write your book?

Author:  I am a professor at Kentucky Wesleyan College.  I spent hours doing work on the social science databases available at the college.  I had to interview a few friends from the “old days” when I was deeply immersed in the Jesus Movement.  I had some help from my son, Galen, who is a sociologist.  My son, Aaron and his wife Maria, helped me make some basic determinations about the direction the book would take (memoir and research—First I was just going to write a research book, then I scraped that and worked on a memoir. Aaron and Maria helped me see how the two could work together.)

FASCINATING AUTHORS: How did you decide which information to present in your book?

Author:  I searched for relevance, reliable research, and pragmatic verification in terms of what I knew from my experience and the experience of others.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What do you hope people will gain from reading your book?

Author:  What I really want is for people to arrive at an accurate or veridical picture of Christian fundamentalism America.  I want folks to understand the legitimate concerns regarding fundamentalism as well as the rhetoric that often clouds the issue of the true nature of fundamentalism.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: How long did it take you to write the book – (was it longer or less time than you expected)?

Author:  About a year—give or take a bit.  I can’t say it took more or less time than I thought.  Research and organization of research findings actually took longer than the writing did.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Did you seek the support of a writer’s group or class?

Author:  No, but I did have a great deal of support from the English faculty at the college where I teach.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What surprised you the most about this process?

Author:  The absolute necessity of doing HOURS of quality research before beginning the writing process.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What tips would you offer to anyone writing nonfiction for the first time?

Author:  Make sure you have access to a quality library.  That is essential.  If you don’t have a good library and research facilities, I think writing nonfiction, at least if it has any academic aspects, will be nearly impossible.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What can we look forward to in your next book?

Author:   I am currently beginning the process of data collection to determine if fundamentalists have a greater likelihood of engaging in domestic violence.  I very much want to complete that research at this time.  I am hoping that this turns into a statistical study.  Whether or not this becomes a book remains to be seen.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Is there anything we haven’t covered that you would like to include?

Author:  Yes, I’ve maintained a blog at www.repentantfundie.blogspot.com for quite some time.  Recently, however, I established a new site where interested folks can read three chapters of the book.  This is available at www.therecoveringfundamentalist.com .

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What did the Presidential campaign and outcome tell you regarding the nature of fundamentalism in our country?

Author:  The Christian Right, while powerful, still does not have the upper hand in our nation.  Also, it seems that at least some evangelicals and fundamentalists are willing to “shift sides” under certain circumstances.

FASCINATING AUTHORS:  Do you feel hopeful that the divisiveness between some groups in our country, particularly religious and secular groups, can be overcome?

Author:  Currently, I am not hopeful.  Those in “the middle” might find some rapprochement.  But the extreme “left” and “right” (both religious and otherwise)?  No, I really don’t think so.

FASCINATING AUTHORS:  What do you see as the future for fundamentalists in this country, politically and socially?

Author:  Trends always shift.  Europe is largely secular any more.  The fastest growing group in the US in terms of religion is usually termed “religious (or spiritual) but unaffiliated.”  They are still a minority but growing.  Most Americans belong to a church, but only about a third actually attend.  Currently, about a third of Americans call themselves evangelical or fundamentalist.  Obviously, the statistics don’t quite “jive.”  I think the Christian Right’s power will eventually diminish.  It will likely take awhile.  As they say (and as it currently is) “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Thank you for taking the time to be part of this interview!