The Dilemma of Liberalizing Theology

I received this yesterday in an email and am posting it in its entirety. I find it very insightful and revealing.

by Dan Juster
Tikkun International

A Debate in the American Jewish Community

In May of this year, Rabbi Norman Lamm, the Chancellor of Yeshiva University in New York, predicted the demise of the Conservative and Reform movements. As quoted in the Jerusalem Post, here is Lamm's statement.

"With a heavy heart we will soon say kaddish on the Reform and Conservative movements." According to Lamm the reason for this coming demise is the loss of real convictions foundational to Judaism.

The following week Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, the executive vice president of the Conservative Movement's Rabbinical Assembly, sought to rebut Rabbi Lamm, pointing to some programs in Conservative Judaism that are vibrant and successful. However, Rabbi Schonfeld was surely "whistling in the dark." The overwhelming statistics show that in attendance, education, intermarriage, assimilation, and Jewish practice, Conservative and Reform Judaism are in decline.

Declining Numbers in American Churches
These phenomena are similar in the Church world. A few years ago Dean Kelly wrote a significant volume entitled Why Conservative Churches are Growing. He could have called it Why Liberal Churches are Shrinking. Since that time we have seen liberalizing tendencies in conservative churches and where such tendencies are significant, these churches are also shrinking. For example, denominations such as the Presbyterian mainline have only two fifths of the membership of just thirty years ago and the Episcopal Church has lost two thirds of its membership over the same period.

Evangelical Churches are facing similar difficulties. The loss of youth is so alarming that Josh McDowell asks if we are witnessing the last Christian generation in America. I note, on the other hand, that Orthodox Judaism is growing. Can we learn something from the Orthodox Jews today?

Liberalizing Tendencies: What and How?
There are two types of liberalizing tendencies: The influence of modern liberal scholarship and the driving desire to be relevant to the culture. In the latter case, the leader seeks to tailor his message and organization to what he thinks people desire. The harder road of the cross and discipleship is abandoned for an easier pop psychology message of positive thinking that makes people feel good. Entertainment takes the place of real challenge. This draws people for a season but loses the next generation. Orthodox Judaism is more committed to making disciples than Western Christianity. They have real convictions. Is this what we should learn from them?

The liberalizing tendency that comes from scholarship influences individuals to question the truths they once held. For example, in the light of the vast complexity of life, and the different claims of world religions, can we really believe that "No man comes to the Father" but by Yeshua? Or in the light of Biblical critical scholarship, can we really trust the Bible and claim that all the texts in the Bible teach the truth when interpreted according to the intent of the author? Can we really know the intent of the author? To some scholars, there seem to be conflicting and incoherent orientations from one part of the Bible to another. In addition, the scholarly world “where accreditation comes from peer review“ is attuned to what is culturally acceptable. Sociology is influencing the scholarly world to the extent that some think that conservative convictions are too narrow and no longer credible. This was my experience as an upperclassman and in early graduate school studies.

Liberalizing Evangelicals now ask if the historic standards precluding divorce and remarriage or homosexual relationships are too rigid. Conversely, Orthodox Judaism largely rejects scholarship and anything that undermines the inerrancy of the Bible and strongly resists the draw of the surrounding culture.

The Delusion Factor
From such doubt and then reorientation, individuals create a new more liberal theology. On the basis of these conclusions, not recognizing the profound cultural and sociological influences upon them, they now believe that this new orientation will be more effective in gaining adherents than the former conservative orientation.

Yet strangely, the expected growing number of adherents, at least from the uncommitted unbelievers, never materializes. Liberal theologies in Christianity and in Judaism generally do not draw in the uncommitted; rather they convert the converted to a more liberal view. The liberalizing Christian, and today we can say the liberalizing Messianic Jew, believes that their new orientation will be more effective, but the years grind on and that greater effectiveness does not take place. They think, maybe over time it will start to happen; if we just have more convocations, read more scholarly papers, and have more high level courses; certainly we will see success. It is to no avail.

The delusion comes from not facing this one fact: People will generally not commit themselves deeply to something unless they believe that doing so is momentous, and based on real convictions of truth that will bring lasting positive gain. It is very difficult for liberalizing people in the theological world to convince the uncommitted that their project is worth their time and energy. This has been proven again and again for the last century, and yet liberalizing people are in denial over this fact. They themselves cannot fully believe, and so they think that a movement of people like themselves – none of whom can fully believe in the ancient paths – will be successful. The quest for such a movement is a quest for self validation.

Conservative Theology is Most Credible
After years of studying the philosophy of religion and critical approaches to the Bible, I came to a firm conviction that the trustworthiness of the Bible was reasonable, based on solid evidence, and alone would provide a place to stand. It is like building a house upon a rock. Thank God for the professors who refused to compromise.

This conviction is based on receiving the teaching on scripture by Yeshua and the Apostles as paramount. On that biblical basis we know that Yeshua is the way, the truth and the life, that He is Deity, and that the moral teachings of the Bible are absolute. Our natural sense can sometimes show us right and wrong, but we need to be bolstered by revelation from God in order not to waiver under cultural pressures.

When society influences people to accept gay marriage and alternative life styles, the Bible gives us a sure place on which to stand. I know that our Jewish movement for Yeshua can only attain lasting growth when we have confidence in the Word of God, are filled with the Spirit and see His miraculous confirmations as we proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom.