Fujimoto, Mitsuru. Translated by Cynthia Dufty. "The Black Curtain of Fundamentalism -- An Idea from Theological Anthropology" (排他主義という黒幕 -- 神学的人間論からの考察). Japan Evangelical Association Theological Commission Pamphlet 6 (May 2006): 37-48.
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SUMMARY
As I said in the beginning, self-identity is formed through the process of distinguishing and binding with the other. We can see this again in the Lord Jesus. Jesus always distinguished himself from the religious group within Judaism. But this wasn't only in reference to the group that had enmity towards him; Jesus also contrasted himself with John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11), Abraham (Matthew 8:58), Moses (John 1:17) and also with his relatives (Mark 3:21). On the other hand, Jesus connected himself to sinners (Matthew 9:13), children (Matthew 19:14) and then “the weakest of these” (Matthew 25:31-46). There is always a necessity for the Christian and then the church to try to look back to see from what we have distinguished ourselves, to what we have positively connected ourselves and to what are we opposed The reason for this is that this is how the church's identity is formed (48).
Surely we, going beyond each church and denomination's identity, and seeking fellowship as the Japan Evangelical Association, having a shared understanding of the faith and mission of evangelism as the evangelical movement in Japan have been trying to share in one common new identity. So within this new, larger identity we can verify our own commonality, so to speak “churchness”. That is, while preserving each church or denomination's distinctives, within the larger Christian fellowship we ought to be able to ask each other if our distinctives are becoming self-righteousness or if our own distinctiveness is appropriately inheriting the nature of the “universal church.” Also taking an external perspective, as an evangelical association positioned within a larger church, we ought to ask ourselves if we have fallen into exclusivism, or, in maintaining our own distinctives, are we judging others?
Because of our truth and principles, if we are “withholding our affections within ourselves” (II Corinthians 6:12), we should hear the call, “open wide your hearts” (v. 13). If, out of a self-righteous group consciousness, we reject one another, we need to hear the words, “Whoever is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:40) and “If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he” (II Corinthians 10:7), and should be should be taught to “extend the right hand of fellowship” (Galatians 2:9). Then in every age the church must pray, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else” (1 Thessalonians 3:12).
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