Grace, Order, Openness and Diversity: Reclaiming Liberal Theology

(Paperback)

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Description

In this highly accessible, passionately argued and scholarly book, Ian Bradley presents fundamentalism, born a hundred years ago in the United States of America, as the great twentieth-century heresy and aberration. He identifies and seeks to reclaim for the twenty first century a liberal theological tradition existing in Christianity, Islam, Judaism and the other major world faiths. This liberal heart is found in their scriptures and was often to the fore in their foundational stages but has more recently been overlaid with conservative reaction, fundamentalism and fear. He defines this liberal theology in terms of the four values of grace, order, openness and diversity which he suggests can be read by Christians as key attributes of the three persons of the Trinity and of God in Trinity as a whole. This book counters the growing influence of narrow, exclusive judgemental religious conservatism with a powerful reassertion of the liberal gospel of God's grace, goodness and generosity.

Reviews

Mentioned in 'Titles just published' section in The Church Times, 30th April, 2010.
'Demonstrates Bradley's strengths as an engaging writer able to call upon a wealth of illustrative material.' Church of England Newspaper, 2nd July 2010
'Read Bradley if you want to get a feel for serious issues in the Churches today' Methodist Recorder, 15th July 2010
This amazing little book is full of ... insights, which will come as a complete surprise to most people' Churchman, Sept. 2010
This amazing little book is full of ... insights, which will come as a complete surprise to most people' Churchman, Sept. 2010
This book... presents a well-defined statement of liberal beliefs clearly very far from the assumed position of most Congregationalists -- The Congregationalist
This is an intelligent and passionate book. The author is unusually sure-footed in the way in which he not only defends liberalism, but remains engagingly open to the flaws that its critics accuse it of.' -- The Church Times
This is a fun and interesting book... Bradley makes an important case for a set of values that need and should be part of any good theology.' -- Theology
Ian Bradley has given us a readable, broadly researched book, a passionate reclamation of theological liberalism and a stout defence of its academic pedigree. -- Jim Lawlor * The Furrow *

Author Bio

Ian Bradley is Emeritus Professor of Cultural and Spiritual History at the University of St Andrews and a prolific author and broadcaster.