Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 7-22-2015 12:00 AM The War of the Worlds: The Militant Fundamentalism of Dr. Thomas Todhunter Shields and the Paradox of Modernity. Doug A. Adams The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Dr. Douglas Leighton The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in History A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Doctor of Philosophy © Doug A. Adams 2015 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Adams, Doug A., "The War of the Worlds: The Militant Fundamentalism of Dr. Thomas Todhunter Shields and the Paradox of Modernity." (2015). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 2985. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/2985 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE WAR OF THE WORLDS: THE MILITANT FUNDAMENTALISM OF DR. THOMAS TODHUNTER SHIELDS AND THE PARADOX OF MODERNITY BY Douglas Allan Adams Graduate Program in History A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada © Douglas A. Adams 2015 i ABSTRACT As Canadian Evangelical Baptists entered into the early years of the twentieth century there were grounds for optimism. Numerical growth was steady, there was solid evidence of social impact, new educational enterprises were developing and among their ranks were prominent members of society. Nevertheless ominous thunderclouds were gathering and a storm of controversy soon engulfed them. Modern forces of “disintegration and renewal, of struggle and contradiction, of ambiguity and anguish” were soon to wreak their havoc upon traditional faith perspectives and time-honoured practices.1 Using a biographical approach, this study is an important case study that tests traditional understandings of fundamentalism and especially its militancy. This thesis applies both a new interpretative model for understanding T. T. Shields and a revisionist approach to the question of fundamentalist militancy. Shields’ fundamentalism was not the rabid anti-intellectualism of “a disgruntled and backward people who could not keep up with the culture of their time.”2 Shields’ fundamentalist militancy instead illustrated the paradox of competing forces within the modern dialectic. The spiritual consequences of cultural liberalism within his own church and the horrific scenes he encountered as a guest of the Ministry of Information in World War 1, motivated Shields to become a militant fundamentalist. By tracing the trajectory of Shields’ fundamentalism it becomes apparent that, though he fought modernists, he did so as a modern man, using modern weapons and fighting for truly modern ideals. The virulence of the fundamentalist/modernist clash was itself evidence of the polarities intrinsic within the modern world. In the face of modernity’s optimism about the rationalization of all fields of endeavour, the progress suggested by scientific and industrial advances and the liberty promised by new prosperity, Shields and his militant fundamentalist allies merely had to appeal to the legacy of modernity’s first war. Theirs was not an anti-intellectual reaction 1 Marshall Berman, All that is Solid Melts into Air (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982), 15. 2 Mark Parent, “The Christology of T. T. Shields: The Irony of Fundamentalism” (Ph.D. Thesis for McGill University, 1991), 60. ii to rationalism’s domination, but a devastating disclosure of the moral price to be paid for modernity’s neglect of the spiritual element in the human condition. Keywords Baptist Bible Union, Baptist, Catholicism, Communism, Cultural Crisis, Cultural Liberalism, Democracy, Des Moines University, Eschatology, Evangelicalism, Fascism, Fundamentalism, Higher Education, Mackenzie King, McCarthyism, McMaster University, Mitch Hepburn, Modernism, Modernity, Social Activism, Ultra- Fundamentalism, World War 1, World War 2. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS With the completion of this project I am deeply conscious of the gratitude I owe to a number of people who have both inspired this study and who have facilitated its achievement. As I laboured on the study of Dr. Shields’ life I did so in memory of my father who encouraged me to return to my studies and finally to tell the story of a man whose impact upon his own life was profound. To both my mother and father I am indebted for instilling within me a great fascination for the subject of this study. Furthermore, without their financial assistance in helping to fund my research this work could never have been possible. I want to thank the University of Western Ontario’s Department of History for the program of studies that contributed at every stage to the completion of this work. To my supervisor, Dr. Douglas Leighton, I owe a great debt of gratitude. His unfailing interest and long patience with my work is greatly appreciated. To my second reader, Dr. Keith Fleming, I offer my sincere thanks for his advice, encouragement and critique. His attention to detail and his insistence on placing this work in its proper context have made this a better thesis. I am thankful too for the encouragement of Dr. Roger Hall and Dr. Fred Dreyer in the early stages of the work. The completion of this thesis would be inconceivable without the contribution of Dr. Paul Wilson. His own thesis Baptists and Business: 1848-1921 provided a significant contextual tool for the interpretation of my subject. His assistance in interpreting the materials at hand and his regular advice and encouragement were a significant factor in my perseverance. To the librarians and staff of Weldon Library I owe a great debt. Assistance with research tools and the provision of a place to work were absolutely vital to my ongoing efforts. I am especially thankful for the ongoing encouragement of Mrs. Elizabeth Mantz and Mr. David Murphy. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to the pastors, deacons and people of Jarvis Street Baptist Church who have provided access to church records and Dr. Shields’ papers. Many within this congregation have offered assistance in other concrete ways as well. To Miss Sheila Evans I am indebted for countless hours of proofreading. I am iv thankful also for my mother’s contribution to that effort. To Mr. Gang Wang for the preparation of the Gospel Witness Database and to Mr. Jim Tomlinson for preparing a digital copy of the The Gospel Witness I wish to express my sincere appreciation. Without these tools my research time would have been increased exponentially. To the members of the Canadian Baptist Historical Society I offer my gratitude for their support of my research. Publication of elements of this work along with advice and editorial commentary have been invaluable. I have been assisted particularly by the counsel of Dr. Gordon Heath, Dr. Michael Haykin, Dr.Donald Goertz and Mr. Jim Tomlinson. Finally, and above all, I am thankful to my wife, Marg, who worked tirelessly to support me and our family as I engaged in this seemingly endless task. Marg, your love, patience and selfless sacrifice are the ultimate factors in my successful completion. Words can never begin to express the appreciation I feel to you for your faithful companionship and support throughout the years. To you, I dedicate this thesis. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................. vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................... viii INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 Hero or Heretic: The Historiographical Context ....................................................... 1 Contemporary Opinion ................................................................................................ 8 Historiography ............................................................................................................. 9 CHAPTER 1 ............................................................................................................... 37 Accepting His Commission: Evangelist / Soul Winner (1873-1910) ......................... 37 The Biographical Context: The Early Years. ............................................................... 37 From Birth to Pastorate ............................................................................................. 42 Early Pastorates ......................................................................................................... 53 The Young Shields - An Analysis ................................................................................ 78 CHAPTER 2 ............................................................................................................. 102 Warring in the Spirit: Pastor / Servant (1910 -1920) ............................................ 102 Pastor of Jarvis