The new divide in theology

For many years, there has been an accepted division of theological perspectives into three groups: Evangelical, Liberal and Traditionalist. Irrespective of what your denomination or belief structure consists of, these positions will reflect presentations of belief, and everyone will, by the way they state their beliefs, fit into one or other of these groups.

However, over the last 15-20 years, I have come to realise that this division is actually not that helpful. The reason it has become less than helpful is that the critical aspects of faith are now ones that divide these groups, rather than bind them. What is more, I find that I have a whole lot more in common with some people across these theological divides that within my own group of "evangelical".

The thing is, the real divide in theological position today is not between evangelicals, liberals and traditionalists, it is between the fundamentalist aspects of these grouping, and the more open or tolerant aspects.This impacts me, because I could feel that divider arriving. I was nearly on the other side of it.

I used to be a far more conservative evangelical. I changed for all sorts of reasons, but not least because I insisted on thinking through what I believed. I did a theology degree, through which I became more convinced about my evangelicalism, about what and how I believed. I still believed that I was merely on a continuum with where I had started - but that is being severed.

What strikes me as interesting is that the evangelical belief in the Bible as paramount should mean that more study, more exploration, more critique of ideas is welcomed. Within the part of evangelicalism I am now in, it most certainly is - without losing the authority that it has. But in truth, in the more conservative forms, the principle seems to be "the Bible is the authority, and this is what it says", which is (of course) a denigration of the authority of the Bible, and using it to support the leaders own views.

That sucks. That is why I can no longer support that form of my faith. But it is not limited to the evangelical wing - there are those in the radical liberal wing who seem to argue that their position is the only valid and tenable one. There are those who argue that their own interpretation of the traditional teachings of the church are the only valid and reasonable ones.

That also sucks.

So here's the thing - I am an evangelical, but I share a whole lot more in common with the open liberals and open traditionalists than I do with some who claim to be evangelical. That is not selling out, it is an acknowledgement that I have part of the truth, an interpretation of the truth, and that if I don't allow that to be challenged, I am not being honest to my faith.

One other aspect that I have been made aware of about this divide is that the more conservative end of the spectrum tend to have a stronger need for the church system and structures. The divide may be being driven by the collapse of the church system, and the conservative ends of the spectra are circling the wagons. If that is the case, then maybe I should just be glad that I am in a different place.

The problem is that there are many good people who are trapped on one side of a divide, and they are told that to leave the fold is a sin, is a rejecting of true faith.

Let me say this clearly. It isn't. Exploring your faith is what it is about.