The nineteenth and twentieth centuries saw the birth (and disastrous consequences) of Liberal Theology. The simple definition of liberal theology is a departure from the authority of Scripture, and then from Scripture altogether. Liberal theology is the antithesis of Systematic Theology.
There are several branches of Liberal Theology, each of which has this in common: they focus too much attention on one point (that may or may not be correct), and in so doing, miss the whole point. The following is a list and definition of four of the more popular variations, though other variations exist.
Liberation Theology is a Marxist political theology that seeks to overthrow the bourgeois “haves” and empower the oppressed “have nots.” This is “theological socialism.” Denying numerous basic tenants of the Christian faith, these ideas are embraced mostly in Africa and Latin America, primarily among Roman Catholics and liberal main-line Protestants.
Process Theology, also known as Openness Theology, is based on the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne. The essence of this theology is that “God is becoming” rather than “being.” It says that God is neither sovereign nor all-knowing. He does not know the future or how things will turn out in the end. In some cases, everything is left to chance. Inevitably, the absolute free agency of individuals is more celebrated than God’s sovereignty.
Feminist Theology is based on the belief that the gospel has been distorted by the exclusion of women from ministry and insists that males have distorted the truth to subjugate women. Feminist Theologians are committed to righting this wrong, usually by imposing a decidedly feminine bias in favor of the existing alleged male bias. This rejects the obvious meaning of the Bible and basic logic.
Minority Group Orientated Theology is based on essentially the same premise upon which feminist theology is perched; except that the male v. female problem is recast in other forms that read the Bible through the eyes of any given minority group from African, to homosexual, and everything in between. We must read the Bible from God’s perspective, not man’s, much less any particular minority (or “under-represented) group. This false way of thinking is a variation of Marxism founded upon so-called “Critical [fill in the blank] Theory.”
These are all unbiblical and therefore heretical. BTW: Liberal is also known as progressive. Progressing away from scripture is not good progress. It is destructive!
Next up: we will begin considering several schools of modern Evangelical Theology.