After years of feeling too Liberal to be an Evangelical and too Evangelical to be a Liberal. I've finally come up with a name for my particular brand of theology. In short Liberal basically describes how I understand the Bible and Evangelical describes how I read the Bible.
Unfortunately http://mb-soft.com/believe/text/libevang.htm proves I'm not the first to come up with the idea.
I agree with the 4 points outlined which are...
In a generally practical sense the two things that hold my life in tension are Spirit and Scripture. I'll read something in the Bible pray about it and then see how that sits with me (listening to the spirit). If a face value reading of the scripture doesn't sit well then I will start to explore it thoroughly, as I have posted about with the women and homosexuality posts.
Similarly with every aspect of my life when I am confronted with something whether it be the idea of a needle exchange program or whatever I'll look at what the Bible says that could be relevant, pray about it and see how the two sit with me. Of course I also keep in the back of my mind that I could always be wrong about anything and therefore listen seriously to any contrary voices.
It annoys me when a fundamentalist evangelical says "it's in the Bible (at a face value reading) therefore X must be right". And equally I'm annoyed by the fundamentalist liberal who says "look I know the Bible says X but I think Y is the loving answer and God is love so therefore Y must be correct".
I tend to share lots of social and political ideas with liberals but a grounding in scripture that tends to be more evangelical.
Unfortunately http://mb-soft.com/believe/text/libevang.htm proves I'm not the first to come up with the idea.
I agree with the 4 points outlined which are...
(1) The authority of Scripture is understood as residing not in the letter of the text (this would be bibliolatry) but in its dynamic revelation of God in Christ.
(2) Older and what is believed cruder penal theories of the atonement have sometimes been replaced by those stressing the redeeming love of God in Christ.
(3) Scientific theories such as evolution have been embraced and understood as being compatible with a Christian view of creation.
(4) Higher critical conclusions concerning the Bible (e.g., the dating of Daniel, the authorship of II Peter, the redaction of (Matthew) have been accepted.
In a generally practical sense the two things that hold my life in tension are Spirit and Scripture. I'll read something in the Bible pray about it and then see how that sits with me (listening to the spirit). If a face value reading of the scripture doesn't sit well then I will start to explore it thoroughly, as I have posted about with the women and homosexuality posts.
Similarly with every aspect of my life when I am confronted with something whether it be the idea of a needle exchange program or whatever I'll look at what the Bible says that could be relevant, pray about it and see how the two sit with me. Of course I also keep in the back of my mind that I could always be wrong about anything and therefore listen seriously to any contrary voices.
It annoys me when a fundamentalist evangelical says "it's in the Bible (at a face value reading) therefore X must be right". And equally I'm annoyed by the fundamentalist liberal who says "look I know the Bible says X but I think Y is the loving answer and God is love so therefore Y must be correct".
I tend to share lots of social and political ideas with liberals but a grounding in scripture that tends to be more evangelical.
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