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Deid.Pdf (1.505Mb) Effects of Protestant liberal theology on contemporary Christian culture: theological reflections DD Dei orcid.org/ 0000-0003-4398-9608 Thesis submitted for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Ethics at the North-West University Promoter: Prof N Vorster Co-promoter: Prof AL Rheeder Graduation May 2018 25727060 Acknowledgements This thesis has become possible mainly due to the academic guidance, conversation, and encouragement of Professor Nico Vorster, my study promoter, as well as the timely academic counsels of Professor Al Reeder, my co-promoter. I express my heartfelt gratitude to them. I also thank Annelize Liebenberg and Lee Trollip for their moral support and inspiration to me in various ways. I express gratitude to Dr Lester Lombard for her swift response to my urgent request for information from the Library of North-West University, Potchefstroom. Special thanks also go to the Head of the Department of Theology as well as to the entire team in the Department for the warm relationship they have created. The atmosphere of the Theology Department really expresses sincere Christian love and fellowship. 2 Abstract This thesis is a theological-ethical study on the impact of Protestant Liberalism on contemporary Christian culture. It attempts to answer the question as to whether Protestant Liberalism has created a variegated Christianity in the same manner that political liberalism has contributed to the relativization of metanarratives of political philosophies. Protestant Liberalism describes the collective ideas within protestant theology that maintain loyalty to Jesus Christ but emphasize the existential value of the Christian religious expression to the welfare of humanity as well as the desire to make the essence of Christianity recognizable in the worldview of modern-scientific system. The central theoretical argument of this thesis is that Protestant Liberalism has utilized key concepts in Classical Liberalism such as natural rights, social contract, individualism, pluralism, secularization, and utilitarian perspective on Ethics to redefine central dogmas in the Christian faith. This has contributed to the reduction of Christianity to the here-and-now to the neglect of the here-after, the reinterpretation of key Christian doctrines to the extent that they have come to mean different things than their initial contexts indicated, the wanton abandonment of some key Christian concepts simply on the basis that the contemporary individual finds them unintelligible and irrelevant, as well as the reduction of the sacred nature of the Bible to the extent that it is viewed as another book of literature. In order to substantiate the central theoretical argument of the thesis, the study probes the definition, origin, and historical manifestations of Protestant Liberalism. Starting as a social philosophy that focused on enhancing the autonomy of the individual in all matters that bear on self-preservation, Protestant Liberalism has been sharpened by historical movements such as the Renaissance, Reformation, and the three-integrated-stages of modernism. Of prime importance are the contributions of Schleiermacher, Ritschl, Herrmann, Harnack, Troeltsch, Rauschenbusch, Schweitzer, and Sölle. Again, the study compares Protestant Liberalism with Classical Liberalism. The comparison indicated some similarities on liberal notions such as natural rights, social contract, individualism, pluralism, secularization, and utilitarian perspective on Ethics. Yet, sharp divergence can be observed from these same liberal notions. An investigation of the tenets of Protestant Liberalism revealed some general teachings including an emphasis on the immanence of God, anthropocentrism, focus on Jesus as an ethical example, evolutionary view of the bible, optimism, salvation, the church as an instrument of social progress, the kingdom of God, religious authority, continuity, modernism, and reduction of Christianity to its unchanging essence. Further, an examination of present- day manifestations of Protestant Liberalism showed that it is present in some Contemporary Theologies such as Pentecostal theology, Servant Theology, Political Theology, Theologies of Liberation and the Jesus Seminar. The study recommends the essence of determining a working balance between the here-and-now and the here-after, between faith and human reason in understanding and interpreting God's self-revelation, and the assurance that new perspectives given to key concepts of Christianity will be true to their antiquary contexts and meanings. Key Words: Protestant Liberalism, Classical Liberalism, Schleiermacher, Culture, Orthodox Christianity, Natural rights, Social Contract, Individualism, Pluralism, Secularization 3 Table of Contents Title page Acknowledgements 2 Abstract 3 Table of Contents 4 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of Study 9 1.2 The Problem of Study 12 1.3 Aim 13 1.4 Objective 13 1.5 Central Theoretical Argument 13 1.6 Methodology 13 1.7 Ethical Considerations 16 1.8 Classification of Headings/Chapters 16 CHAPTER TWO: DEFINITION, ORIGIN, AND HISTORICAL MANIFESTATION OF PROTESTANT LIBERALISM 2.1 Introduction 18 2.2 Definition of Protestant Liberalism 18 2.3 Origin and Historical Manifestations of Protestant Liberalism 19 2.3.1 Giannozzo Manetti's Influence on Renaissance Humanism 20 2.3.2 Leonardo Bruni's Influence on Renaissance Humanism 21 2.3.3 Marsilio Ficino's Influence on Renaissance Humanism 22 2.3.4 Giovanni Pico della Mirandola's Influence on Renaissance Humanism 22 2.3.5 Lorenzo Valla's Influence on Renaissance Humanism 23 2.3.6 Loni Coluccio Salutati's Influence on Renaissance Humanism 24 2.3.7 Poggio Bracciolini's Influence on Renaissance Humanism 24 2.4 The Spread of Renaissance Humanism 25 4 2.5 Effect of Renaissance Humanism on the Reformation 26 2.5.1 Martin Luther and Renaissance Humanism 27 2.5.2 Ulrich Zwingli and Renaissance Humanism 28 2.5.3 John Calvin and Renaissance Humanism 29 2.6 Humanism During the Period of Modernism 31 2.6.1 Rene Descartes' Influence on Rationalism 32 2.6.2 Baruch Spinoza's Influence on Rationalism 33 2.6.3 Gottfried Leibniz's Influence on Rationalism 33 2.7 Daniel Frederick Schleiermacher and Protestant Liberalism 36 2.8 Albrecht Ritschl and Protestant Liberalism 42 2.9 Adolph von Harnack and Protestant Liberalism 44 2.10 Ernst Troeltsch and Protestant Liberalism 46 2.11 Wilhelm Herrmann and Protestant Liberalism 47 2.12 Walter Rauschenbusch and Protestant Liberalism 48 2.13 Albert Schweitzer and Protestant Liberalism 50 2.14 Dorothee Sölle and Protestant Liberalism 53 2.15 Conclusion 55 CHAPTER THREE: PROTESTANT LIBERALISM AND CLASSICAL LIBERALISM 3.1 Introduction 57 3.2 Definition of Classical Liberalism 57 3.3 Origin of Classical Liberalism 57 3.4 Major Proponents of Classical Liberalism 59 3.4.1 Thomas Hobbes and Classical Liberalism 59 3.4.2 John Locke and Classical Liberalism 61 3.4.3 Montesquieu and Classical Liberalism 63 3.4.4 Voltaire and Classical Liberalism 64 3.4.5 Rousseau and Classical Liberalism 65 5 3.4.6 Adam Smith and Classical Liberalism 67 3.4.7 John Stuart Mill and Classical Liberalism 68 3.4.8 Hayek and Classical Liberalism 70 3.4.9 Milton Friedman and Classical Liberalism 71 3.4.10 John Rawls and Classical Liberalism 73 3.5 Strands in Classical Liberalism 75 3.6 Foundational Principles of Classical Liberalism 77 3.6.1 Erosion of Foundational Assumptions 77 3.6.2 Social Contract 79 3.6.3 Individualism 80 3.6.4 Liberal Pluralism 81 3.6.5 Natural Rights 83 3.6.6 Limitations on the Power of the Government 84 3.6.7 Utilitarian Ethical Foundations 86 3.6.8 Anti-Supernaturalism 87 3.7 Protestant Liberalism and Classical Liberalism: Similarities and Differences 87 3.7.1 The Issue of Natural Rights in Classical and Protestant Liberal Thoughts 88 3.7.2 The Concept of Social Contract in Classical and Protestant Liberal Thoughts 89 3.7.3 The Concept of Individualism in Classical and Protestant Liberal Thoughts 90 3.7.4 The Concept of Pluralism in Classical and Protestant Liberal Thoughts 91 3.7.5 Secularization in Classical and Protestant Liberal Thoughts 91 3.7.6 Utilitarian Ethical Foundations in Classical and Protestant Liberal Thoughts 92 3.8 Conclusion 94 CHAPTER FOUR: TENETS OF PROTESTANT LIBERALISM 4.1 Introduction 96 4.2 The Aim of Protestant Liberalism 96 4.3 Basic Teachings of Protestant Liberalism 97 4.3.1 The Immanence of God 97 6 4.3.2 Anthropocentrism 99 4.3.3 Jesus Christ as an Ethical Example 100 4.3.4 An Evolutionary View of the Bible 102 4.3.5 Philosophical Optimism 103 4.3.6 Salvation 105 4.3.7 The Church as an Instrument of Social Progress 107 4.3.8 The Kingdom of God 108 4.3.9 Religious Authority 110 4.3.10 The Philosophical Principle of Continuity 111 4.3.11 Theological Modernism 112 4.3.12 Reduction of Christianity to its Unchanging Essence 113 4.4 Conclusion 114 CHAPTER FIVE: PROTESTANT LIBERALISM AND CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGIES 5.1 Introduction 115 5.2 The Concept of Contextualization 115 5.3 Meaning and Origin of Theological Contextualization 115 5.4 Models of Theological Contextualization 117 5.5 Pentecostal Theology 119 5.6 Servant Theology 121 5.7 Political Theology 121 5.8 Theologies of Liberation 122 5.8.1 Black Theology 124 5.8.2 Latin American Theology 126 5.8.3 Feminist Theology 128 5.8.4 Asian Theology 131 5.8.4.1 Minjung Theology 131 5.8.4.2 Dalit Theology 133 7 5.9 Palestinian Liberation Theology 136 5.10 The Jesus Seminar 138 5.11 Conclusion 139 CHAPTER SIX: PROTESTANT LIBERALISM TODAY 6.1 Introduction 142 6.2 Positive Contributions of Protestant Liberalism to Contemporary Christian 142 Culture 6.3 Negative Effects of Protestant Liberalism on Contemporary Christian Culture 147 6.4 Evaluation 149 CHAPTER SEVEN: SUMMARY 7.1 Summary 151 7.2 Recommendations 154 BIBLIOGRAPHY 156 8 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study The term 'liberalism' suggests multiple meanings (Kloppenberg, 1997; Gaus, Courtland, & Schmidtz, 2015).
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