Am I “Neo-Orthodox?”

Last updated on: June 19, 2016 at 6:43 am by Roger E. Olson

Am I “Neo-Orthodox?” 2016-06-19T06:43:27-05:00 Roger E. Olson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Recently a student with whom I am very friendly (i.e., no adversarial relationship) informed me that he was warned–by someone not entirely supportive of his studying with me–that I am “neo-orthodox.”

The context of his well-intentioned comment was our class discussion of the theologies of Barth and Brunner. I was explaining what I regard as strengths and weaknesses of their theologies and together we, the class, were talking about how social context inevitaby shapes (not determines) theologians’ ideas. I believe, for example, that Barth’s infamous “Nein!” to Brunner about natural theology was strongly influenced by his time teaching in Germany and his encounters with the “German Christians” who looked to Hitler as a new messiah. Barth traced that back to an openness to natural theology (Of course, by “natural theology” Brunner did not mean what Barth meant by it; he only meant a point of contact–the imago dei–for the gospel in every person.)

I’ve never really thought deeply about whether I am “neo-orthodox,” but this wasn’t the first time I’ve heard it as a kind of accusation.

Some years ago I was contacted by the then president of the Evangelical Theological Society who asked me to deliver a plenary address at the next year’s national annual meeting. He wanted me to confront and even contradict the ideas of Bart Ehrmann about there being (according to Ehrmann) no one “orthodoxy” in the early church. I explained to him that I have never been a member of the ETS and do not believe in the inerrancy of the Bible. He assured me that is no obstacle to delivering a plenary address. He mentioned several noted scholars who are not generally considered evangelicals who have done that. So, I agreed and it was set.

Very soon after that telephone conversation I received an e-mail to the executive committee of the ETS from the president informing them that he had invited me and I had accepted the invitation. It was one of those group e-mail messages to about ten people. My e-mail address was among them. All the rest were members of the ETS executive committee. Apparently they did not notice that my e-mail address was among theirs and all of them simply pressed “reply to all” and began criticizing the president for inviting me and accusing me of being, among other things, “neo-orthodoxy.”

So I simply pressed “reply to all” and challenged some of the more specific things they were saying about me and asking for their reasons. And mentioning that the president had said one does not even have to be a recognized evangelical scholar to deliver a plenary address.

Of course, I was immediately dropped from the group discussion. I assume they went on bashing me because the next day I received an e-mail from the president informing me that he reluctantly had to withdraw the invitation even though it was his perogative to organize the plenary addresses.

Some of the executive committee members were people I have known for many years; I was shocked at their hostility towards me.

The most interesting part of this incident–to me–is that out of it came a rather lengthy e-mail conversation with the president-elect of the ETS–the dean of a large, conservative seminary. We talked about “biblical inerrancy” and related matters. I informed him that, given all his qualifications of “inerrancy” I could believe in it, too. I just think the word is intellectually dishonest–given the many qualifications that no ordinary person would guess at. After several e-mail exchanges we agreed that we probably held the same view of Scripture’s accuracy but only disagreed about whether “inerrancy” is a good word for it. Then I asked him the sixty-four thousand dollar question: “Given that you and I agree about the real nature of Scripture’s accuracy and only disagree about the helpfulness of the word ‘inerrancy’ to name it, can I join the ETS?” (Membership in the ETS requires affirming biblical inerrancy.) He said no; you have to affirm the word. Interesting.

So am I “neo-orthodox?” Well, I don’t think it really matters–partly because the label is so essentially contested. There does not seem to be any standard meaning. It is somehow linked to especially Emil Brunner’s theology. But what part of his theology does it name?

I usually tell students that I THINK it has usually been understood as naming his (and Barth’s and others’) idea that the Bible BECOMES the Word of God, but I have found something very similar in both Luther and Calvin. I agree with evangelical theologia Donald Bloesch–and have said so even publicly many times–that the Bible IS the Word of God AND becomes the Word of God. It IS the Word of God insofar as it is supernaturally inspired; it BECOMES the Word of God when God uses it to call a person to decision, faith, and uses it to bring a person into encounter and communion with God through Jesus Christ. It is “perfect with respect to its purpose” without being flawless in every detail. And it is not a “not-yet-systematized systematic theology” (a la Charles Hodge). It is a theodrama from which we derive doctrines but all doctrines are human interpretations of God’s revelation of HimSELF in and through Scripture which is, as Luther said, “the cradle that holds the Christ.” And especially authoritative in Scripture is that which “promotes Christ” (was Christum treibt).

Does that make me “neo-orthodox” or “Lutheran” or….?

I think “neo-orthoox” is meant as an insult when thrown at a biblical scholar or theologian or even a pastor by “conservative evangelicals” (many of who are really neo-fundamentalists in my book). Fortunately, it didn’t stop my very excellent student from coming to study with me and my colleagues. I’m not sure people who use it that way even understand it correctly and by that I mean historically-theologically.

If being called “neo-orthodox” puts me in the same “camp” as Barth and Brunner, Bloesch and (Bernard) Ramm, then I consider it a compliment even thought I do not agee with everything any of them wrote. I don’t even agree with everything I have written!

Uncategorized

Previous Post

June 16, 2016

Is American Society Descending into "Anomie?"

Next Post

June 21, 2016 What Is an "Evangelical?"

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Against Liberal Theology Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who asked God for wisdom and wrote many proverbs?

Select your answer to see how you score.

David Saul Solomon Elijah