Reclaiming a peculiar faith
Three senior pastors of large mainline churches describe, in the words of one, their "ascent out of liberalism." They offer fragmentary glimpses of how a postliberal church, exiled from cultural prominence, ought to read scripture, preach, worship, form faithful Christians and engage in social action. Some of these glimpses (especially of the teaching and social ministries of the church) offer a rich alternative to the "church growth" models that have been proposed as the solution to the problems of mainline congregations. Unfortunately, the diatribe against "liberalism" pervading the book obscures and sometimes distorts its most promising ideas.
The authors insist that the "liberalism" they believe has so harmed the mainline is "philosophical," not "political," liberalism. But when the only liberals named are Harry Emerson Fosdick, Fred Craddock, Norman Lear, the members of the Jesus Seminar and Paul Tillich, it is difficult to know whether or how philosophical liberalism differs from political or theological liberalism. Someone unfamiliar with the preaching or writing of Fred Craddock could come away from this book thinking that Craddock believes that "issues related to human fallibility and self-deceit are moot because we are basically educated, sensitive and caring people who have overcome what we used to speak of as 'sin.'" Such glib, unsupported statements are characteristic of the way the authors describe "liberalism." Liberals mistrust the Bible, are made uncomfortable by worship, disdain history and care only for their own perspective. "The trinity of philosophical liberalism," the essay on preaching announces, is "me, mine and myself."
I admit to some confusion over the heavy load the term "liberal" has been asked to bear in this book, and not only because I grew up hearing Fred Craddock preach and know very well that he does not believe human beings have overcome sin. The word "liberal" has a variety of resonances within mainline churches. There are plenty of churchpeople who continue to associate the term "liberal" with civil rights, the ordination of women, and the responsibility of each person to study the scriptures, expecting to be challenged and changed. When Martin Copenhaver, Anthony Robinson and William Willimon call us to follow them in their ascent out of liberalism, what exactly are we being asked to reject? And what are we being asked to embrace?
