Why I Wrote “Against Liberal Theology”

Why I Wrote “Against Liberal Theology” January 17, 2025

Why I Wrote “Against Liberal Theology”

This coming Monday (give or take a day) I will open discussion of my book “Against Liberal Theology: Putting the Brakes on Progressive Christianity” (Zondervan). If you want to participate, read the Introduction. You may comment if you read it but only ask questions if not.

Before diving into the book, though, I want to say why I wrote it and why I think I am qualified to write such a book.

I wrote it because: 1) Too few people who use the term “liberal theology” (or “liberal Christianity”) actually know what it is. In the book I argue that it is a tradition of theology and not a vague, amorphous “anything to the left of me” kind of theology. “Progressive Christianity” is not a tradition; it is an ethos, a mindset, which, if followed to its logical conclusion, leads to liberal theology.

2) Liberal theology as I mean it is inimical to robust Christianity and may not even be Christian at all. It may be a different religion. I demonstrate that possibility in the book with many quotes from well-known liberal theologians. (I quote only from theologians who acknowledged being liberal or who are generally acknowledged by scholars to be liberal in their theology.)

I believe that liberal theology is a major reason why the so-called “mainline Protestant churches” are dying. It is, as one of my students said, “weak sauce.” There is really no life in it. It is dull, overly-intellectual, and, of course, unbiblical. Taken to its extreme, it is disconnected entirely from historic, classical, orthodox Christianity.

There is genuine diversity within the liberal theological tradition, but there is also much commonality. The main common feature is what theologian Paul Welch called “maximal acknowledgement of the claims of modernity” in theology. I would rephrase that as “maximal accommodation to modernity” in theology.

In the book I focus almost exclusively on American liberal theologians. Yet, I cannot avoid mentioning German theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher who is widely acknowledged as the “father” of liberal and modern theology.

I wrote the book because of what I call the “trickle down theory of theology.” By that I mean that pastors and lay people and students are influenced by theologians they have never heard of or studied. The influence of liberal Protestant theology is pervasive in the so-called “mainline churches” of America (and Europe). Church historian Martin Marty prefers “old line” to “mainline” and I agree with him. “Old” in the sense of “tired.”

So, what are my credentials for writing about liberal theology and critiquing it? I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian form of life that had very little theology. We had doctrines, but not theology in the sense of critical or constructive reflection on revelation and doctrines. My college experience was pure indoctrination; critical reflection was frowned on. My seminary experience was a mixture of critical and constructive reflection and gentle indoctrination.

During my seminary years I stepped out of the seminary and took courses at a Lutheran (ELCA) seminary (be extension) about process theology and liberation theology. Process theology is, of course, a major form of liberal theology. During seminary I read a lot of liberal theology. Then I earned my Ph.D at a secular university but studied under several Christian theologians there. At least one of them, probably two, was/were liberal theologically. I was exposed to liberal theology there. I really began to study liberal theology there. Then I studied theology at the University of Munich in Germany and was exposed to more liberal theology.

Later, I joined a theological professional society and rubbed shoulders with liberal theologians. I became president of that society. I organized liberal-evangelical dialogues. I read more deeply in liberal theology, spoke at liberal churches, responded to liberal theologians in theological meetings. I read both primary and secondary sources about liberal theology—as you will see if you read Against Liberal Theology. I was a member of at least two, maybe three, liberal Protestant churches—two Baptist and one Presbyterians. I invited self-identified liberal pastors and theologians to speak to my classes in the universities where I taught.

Anyway, if you want to know what liberal theology really is and why it is pernicious to Christianity, read the book with me. Start with the Introduction. I will post some comments on the Introduction here on or around Monday, January 20.

*Note: If you choose to comment, keep it brief (no more than 100 words), on topic, addressed to me, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of pictures or links.*

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