HOW TO BECOME A CONSERVATIVE "LIBERAL"
Dear Friends
From about the year 2001 on, the church I serve in, now called Church of the Messiah, was one of the principal churches in the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) speaking out against the move by the denomination to bless same-sex unions; perform same-sex marriages, and “baptize” the LGBTQ+ movement. We tried to always make clear that this movement in the ACoC was a symptom of deeper problems, all first order issues. The movement was denying that the Bible was God’s word written and therefore authoritative on marriage and sexuality; it was denying that Jesus is the Saviour and Lord, and that He gives a new identity and sets forth what justification and sanctification involve; it was denying the doctrine of creation. In 2007, the ACoC made their departure from the Christian faith official at the national level and my (former) diocese quickly followed suit. Shortly after this our church detached itself from the ACoC and re-attached ourselves to an evangelical Anglican Province in South America. While our battle was ongoing, and for a year or so after our re-alignment, we would regularly have Anglicans (and others) visit our church. They would come for a week or three and then leave. I quickly recognized a pattern with these people. They were “conservative” on the LGBTQ+ issue, but they were not “conservative” theologically – they were the conservative version of religious liberals. They were hoping for a “conservative” liberal church and were uncomfortable in an evangelical (“conservative”) church. Several points.
First, “liberal” and “conservative” are primarily political ideas. When people use them for Christianity, they will be confused and led astray. Opposition to racism and patriarchy; a concern for the poor; these are politically “liberal”, but they are also biblical. The heart of theological liberalism is to recast the Christian faith in such a way that it seamlessly co-exists with a non-Christian philosophy, religion, ideology or movement. Usually, the Christian faith needs to be “updated” according to some philosophy (etc.) which is culturally dominant. That is why if you were to track with many theological liberals over the decades, they effortlessly (and unconsciously) change their beliefs to be in accord with the latest cultural movement. The key is a culturally acceptable Christian belief. Since Canada’s “elites” in politics, culture and media have been overwhelmingly “liberal” or “progressive” for many decades now, the main version of “liberal” Christianity we see is a liberal “liberal” Christianity.
Second, given that “liberal” Christianity is really re-casting the Christian faith so that it seamlessly coexists with a non-Christian philosophy, religion, ideology or movement, then it is possible for there to be “conservative” versions of this re-casting. That is what I saw with many of these searchers. They thought we were “conservative” “liberals”. This can be far harder for us to recognize. For sociological reasons, we might value “conservative” views of high culture, politics, and economics. We do not recognize when we have become “Bible and high culture”, or “Bible and anti-feminist”, or “Bible and free-market” Christians.
Third, we need to seek ongoing reformation, revival and renewal. True reformation is to have the Gospel and the whole counsel of God (the Bible) be what forms our minds and hearts. True revival is when the Holy Spirit brings the Gospel and the word of God to deeper levels of who we are as a person and a church. Renewal is living this out for the good of people and the glory of God in such a way that does not care at all about whether we are conservative or liberal in a political and cultural sense. The Lord brooks no rivals for our heart and affections. The Lord does not need a partner in the form of a philosophy or ideology. The Bible does not need to be recast. As God’s word, it is always authoritative and relevant.
George+