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Against Liberal Theology: Chapter 1: The Tradition

Against Liberal Theology: Chapter 1: The Tradition

Last updated on: February 4, 2025 at 7:02 pm by Roger E. Olson

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Against Liberal Theology: Chapter 1: The Tradition 2025-02-04T19:02:46-05:00 Roger E. Olson

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Against Liberal Theology: Chapter 1: The Liberal Christian Tradition and Its Theology

Here I continue my commentary on my own book Against Liberal Theology and my invitation to those who are reading it with me to comment and ask questions. If you are not reading the book, you may ask a question.

In this chapter, Chapter 1, I survey the history of liberal theology (not “liberal religion” which is a much broader category)—from Friedrich Schleiermacher to Douglas Ottati. And I state my central thesis—that liberal theology, rightly understood, as this tradition and its beliefs, is not authentically Christian. Its advocates and promoters should call it something other than Christian because it is so different from anything that was recognized as Christian before. It is different in kind and not just in degree. It is as different from Christianity as are the so-called “cults.”

Know that this book is not attempting to argue that liberal theology is not true! That would be a different kind of book. My book is only attempting to show that liberal theology is not authentically Christian. Those who accept is as authentically Christian should also accept Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witness “theology,” and Christian Science as authentically Christian.

I draw heavily on sources to make my argument and the sources are liberal theologians themselves! I use Gary Dorrien’s three volume history of American liberal religion that includes mostly theologians. I also draw on other histories and explanations of liberal theology. I mention them and quote from them. I write about the views of Schleiermacher, Albrecht Ritschl (whose grandson I knew!), Adolf von Harnack, Walter Rauschenbusch, Harry Emerson Fosdick, et al. Before writing the book I read Douglas Ottati’s magisterial A Theology for the Twenty-first Century (700 pages!) that echoes Schleiermacher.

All liberal theologians shy away from anything supernatural. Some blatantly deny the possibility of miracles. All are enamored with “the best of modern thought” and are eager to interpret Christianity using modern thought as a source and norm alongside if not higher than the Bible and Christian tradition. But, to them, “modern thought” excludes the supernatural and miracles.

I conclude this chapter with this:

”The upshot of all this is simple: liberal Christianity is a relatively unified, new religion growing out of orthodox Christianity and, like sects such as Mormonism, Christian Science, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, growing away from it. Like these Christian offshoots, liberal Christianity cut the cord of continuity with New Testament Christianity, ancient Christianity (of the church fathers), Reformation Christianity, and even Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Liberalism is to contemporary Christianity what Gnosticism was to second century Christianity—an alternative religion to true Christianity.” (33)

Know that I am NOT saying liberal theologians are bad people. Like Mormons, I would be happy to have them as my neighbors. I have known, however briefly, Gary Dorrien and found him to be a delightful person. The same with Marcus Borg. (The one liberal theologian I probably could not be friends with is the late John Shelby Spong who was, in my opinion, unfair in his descriptions of and responses to orthodox Christians.)

*Note: If you choose to comment, and you are welcome to if you read this chapter, keep it relatively brief, no more than about 100 words. If you did not read the chapter, you may only ask a question. In any case, stay on topic, address me only, be respectful and civil (not hostile or argumentative), and do not include any pictures or links.*

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