Is Heresy A Sin? Is heresy a sin? Yes, no, maybe. Such an answer you expect from a theologian, right? I know. What is heresy? Heresy is any teaching that is directly contrary to the stated doctrines of a religion. Since this is a blog for evangelical Christians, I will define heresy, for the purposes of this blog only, as teaching that is directly contrary to the clear teaching of the Bible and orthodox Christian doctrines as defined by evangelicals... Read more

Horace Bushnell and Progressive Orthodoxy 3 In the first two installments of this three part series I talked about what Gary Dorrien calls Bushnell’s “liberal-leaning experiment in progressive orthodoxy” with special focus on the 19th century theologian’s theological method. Here I want to suggest some ways in which Bushnell’s progressive orthodoxy can be helpful today. As in Bushnell’s time and place (New England in mid-19th century), Protestant Christianity in America today is deeply divided between conservatives of various kinds and... Read more

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... Read more

Is Universalism A Heresy? I tell my students that universalism is the least heretical of all heresies. But is it even a heresy? It certainly is in some Christian churches. A problem with calling it a heresy is that at least Gregory of Nyssa, an Orthodox Church father, was a universalist. And in recent times, orthodox Christians such as Karl Barth and Juergen Moltmann have been universalists. David Bentley Hart is one. I know of others who would not want... Read more

Liberal Theology and Salvation Here I continue my series about my book Against Liberal Theology: Putting the Brakes on Progressive Christianity with Chapter 6: Liberal Theology and Salvation. If you have read the chapter, feel free to comment. If not, feel free to ask a question. Again, in this chapter, I say that the problem with liberal theology is not so much what it affirms as what it denies. In the case of salvation, it (usually) denies any idea of... Read more

Is There A Moral Difference?   By all accounts, thousands upon thousands of children are starving in Sudan. Many of them were being kept alive by USAID which has now been terminated. By accounts of now-fired USAID employees, warehouses in the US and other countries are filled with food waiting to go to Sudan. It is not getting to then and probably will not because Trump canceled the only means of the food getting to the hungry—USAID. Hitler and Himmler... Read more

Remembering the “Progessive Orthodoxy” of Horace Bushnell Part Two Bushnell was self-consciously a mediating theologian. He stood against the stream of New England Unitarianism and the accommodating liberalism while at the same time resisting the rigid orthodoxy and incipient fundamentalism of neo-Puritanism and the Princeton Theology (Alexander and Hodge). He strongly defended belief in the supernatural, including Jesus’ miracles (although he felt no need to defend every biblical miracle story), while at the same time defending the need to adjust... Read more

Liberal Theology and Jesus Christ Here I continue my discussion of my book Against Liberal Theology with Chapter 5: Jesus Christ in Liberal Theology. If you have read the chapter, you may comment and/or ask a question. If you have not read the chapter, you may only ask a question. Jesus asked his disciples who people said he was. Classical, traditional, orthodox Christianity, real Christianity, has always said he is the Son of God, even God the Son. The pagan... Read more

Remembering the “Progressive Orthodoxy” of Horace Bushnell Part One   Progressive Orthodoxy One thing I like to do here is point readers back to neglected theologians. As a historical theologian, I find many “new” proposals in theology are not that new. Often they echo theological ideas of the past even as their promoters advance them as new. There’s some truth to the old sayings that there’s nothing new under the sun and that history repeats itself. In fact, sometimes it... Read more

God According to Liberal Theology This continues my/our discussion of my book Against Liberal Theology: Putting the Brakes on Progressive Christianity. Here I take up Chapter 4: God According to Liberal Theology. If you have read the chapter you may comment. If not, only ask a question. The thesis of the chapter is: “The majority of liberal Christian thinkers do not believe in supernatural divine interventions in nature or history. However, the revisions go deeper. Most modern liberal Christian thinkers... Read more