Liberal Theology and the Future

Liberal Theology and the Future

Here I continue my discussion of my book Against Liberal Theology: Putting the Brakes on Progressive Christianity (Zondervan) with Chapter 7: The Future in Liberal Theology. If you have read the chapter, feel free to join the discussion with comments. If not, only ask a question.

The essence of the chapter about eschatology in liberal theology is this: “Liberal theology goes far beyond Niebuhr’s warning about not wanting to know too much about the furniture of heaven or the temperature of hell; it throws out any meaningful heaven and hell and, at best, holds out some featureless life beyond the grave. The return of Jesus Christ in glory, divine judgments, a fulfilled kingdom of God, a new heaven and new earth free from sin, sickness, and death, where there will be no more tears, all get treated as myths or symbols. We are left almost entirely with this world and virtue as its own reward.” (159)

I support that conclusion with quotations from acknowledged liberal Protestant theologians from Schleiermacher to Ottati. Some of them affirm more than others—about the future. Some deny any personal, subjective life after death. Some affirm that but are reticent to say anything specific. Most, if not all, are nearly totally agnostic about the future. None affirm a realistic return of Jesus Christ.

In the chapter I tell about my wife’s grandfather’s funeral in a Lutheran church (ELCA). The recent Lutheran Seminary graduate preached that “Helmer is dead; we will never see Helmer again. But God holds Helmer in his memory.” My wife and I and her cousin and his wife, the four of us evangelical Christians, were shocked. Others didn’t seem to hear it or understand what it meant. I confronted the preacher after the funeral and told him he had no business saying such a thing to my wife’s grandmother, the widow, or her mother and aunts. He admitted that he adopted process theology in seminary and did not believe in subjective (personal) immortality.

It’s no wonder liberal churches are dying. People want hope. Is there hope? Yes, if you have faith in Jesus Christ and believe the Bible contains truth about the future.

I say in the chapter that I am not in favor of “Left Behind” theology. My own eschatology is much influenced by Juergen Moltmann who finally admitted to me, directly, that he was a premillennialist! I already suspect it from reading his The Coming of God and other books. He affirmed “a new appearing of Christ” without apocalypticism. I am personally agnostic about much even biblical apocalypticism. It seems to me that the original readers of biblical apocalyptic literature had some kind of code “book” (even if not written) by which they interpreted it. For whatever reason and by whatever means, it’s lost to us. But the overall point is clear: Christ will return and establish his kingdom.

I see no reason why a highly educated, intelligent person must give up belief in heaven or hell or the parousia of Christ. N. T. Wright does not. His book Surprised by Hope is a modern classic on orthodox eschatology.

Personally, I do not consider beliefs about the future part of orthodox, “real Christianity” except that Christ will return and raise the dead to new life and establish his kingdom. I have my own opinions, such as “historic premillennialism,” but I do not think opinions are dogmas.

But liberal theology throws the baby of orthodox eschatology out with the bathwater of “rapture fever” and other eschatological schemes.

*Note: If you choose to comment, make sure you have read the chapter. If you have not read it, you may ask a question. In either case, keep your comment or question relatively brief (no more than 100 words), strictly on topic, addressed to me, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of pictures or links.*