The real thing is always better than thin imitation. This fact alone will prove to be the undoing of a declining liberal theology. Well, that and the fact that liberal theology is hopelessly confused, as any honest and minimally bright liberal theologian will attest.
100% correct, Robin. Liberal theology is an attempt at a weak sell of humanism wrapped in Christian (at least in the USA context) terminology, symbolism and sometimes even ritual. It’s literally mind-boggling, when critically looked at in a honest sort of way. I am especially tickled when I happen onto a pack of liberal theology espousers who are blatantly mimicking - or imitating - the methodology of what I would call orthodox Christianity. It happens day in and day out here in the US.
I once asked a few liberal ministers, during my time in Clinical Pastoral Education (emergency ward, trauma, decedent care), for advice re: the lack of content liberal religion & theology seemed to possess when faced with the serious situations in a hospital setting. Do you know what these ministers told me to do? They told me to pretend I was a Christian (I actually was a Christian, albeit a goofy liberal one, but they apparently didn’t realize as much yet). They actually told me to use the Christian theology and message. I am not kidding! Soon after this wonderful advice was given, I left liberal theology and liberal Christianity behind … where it belongs. The Gospel of Christ is sufficient as is (Biblically speaking).
I have many. many other stories I collected along the way. All of them pretty much paint liberal theology as an intellectual exercise in humanism that finds what little practical expression it has in a thin imitation of Christian methodology and practice.
I think that one of the major problems with “liberal theologyâ€, particularly within the context of the U*U “religious communityâ€, is that God is left out of the equation. A lot of so called liberal “theology†isn’t theology at all because it has virtually nothing to do with God.