Faith Without Certainty: Liberal Theology In The 21st Century

by Paul B. Rasor

"Religious liberals today remain committed to such central principles as free religious inquiry, autonomous judgment about truth claims, and openness to divergent views. Nevertheless, many yearn for more shared content, for a common understanding about their faith that they can share with one another and with newcomers. This dilemma, this tension, can feel creative or paralyzing, freeing or frustrating--but it is undeniably part of religious liberalism."

From the
"This innovative critical analysis of religious liberalism probes the dynamic tensions of a theology that is committed to individual freedom and autonomy on the one hand and a greater sense of community on the other. Much more than a primer, Faith without Certainty lays out the basic characteristics of liberal theology, delving into historical and philosophical sources as well as social and intellectual roots. Clear-eyed but ultimately hopeful, Rasor explores the ambiguous and creative nature of liberal theology today."

Ideal for readers who want a better understanding of liberal theology, a religious tradition that is rooted not in authority but in one's own experience and conscience.

Genres: Religion, Theology, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Christianity

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2005

Reviews

[Buxmont Uu]

p. 59 - Paul Lakeland's view of post-modernity - wow, that's bleak. There's no agency - what about all we can DO with our material success?

"Bluntly and tersely, the postmodern as an epochal condition underscores in its celebration of camp, kitsch, and retro the other side of a social reality in which we wallow in private affluence while squatting in public squalor." - David Batstone p. 61

p. 62 - Disorientation - wow, I disagree with this idea. The world is not fragmented - it's a highly complex network. Meaning is based on where you connect, not on a distant star.

p. 71 - This is written for those who can see but not understand what is happening in the post-modern world. I on the other hand, am more in the camp of those who understand it (literally - this is simply the world I live in) but cannot see it (don't have an external perspective on it.) This is a significant fundamental divide. I'd love to see theology by someone in my position/generation/experience - it's important to to remember that many parents and almost all kids/youth in congregations are in the post modern population. We don't see the facts as problems to be solved - but simply the reality/background within which to solve problems (answer the big questions.)

p.98 - For Habermas, the individuated self has a strong sense of autonomy and self-determination. This sounds a lot like the old modernist conception of the individual, but it is in fact very different. In the modern view, the individual is self-determining from the start, with no need for social or group involvement. In Habermas's intersubjective view, the self is understood as a social being from the start. - this is fascinating because I think it means I've never in my life actually had a modern idea of individualism. I've certainly ALWAYS seem the individual as arising from the community, not the community arising from the individual. My main concern is how does the individual repair and create community ...

I think I would really like to read Sallie McFague's theology of embodiment. p. 101

p. 105 - If we can understand our moral agency as something that emerges only as we learn to take moral stands within our communities, we might be more willing to claim our communities as positive resources rather than as prisons that we must break free of. - wow. This. When this happens for people in my congregation I know they are growing spiritually and that I am doing my job. Taking moral stands within can mean a lot of different things - projects, speaking out on social media, discussing in small groups, etc.

[Adrienne Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book challenges us to a more expansive and heartfelt practice of religion, without abandoning the strengths of liberal religion.

[Rica Kaufel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great and sweeping introduction to the current state of liberal theology and its history.

[Darin Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Rasor seems to believe that if someone asks you the time you should tell them how to build the clock. This is not a bad thing, but it makes his book "Faith Without Certainty: Liberal Theology in the 21st Century" a challenging read. Rasor builds a picture of modern liberal theology by systematically exploring the philosophical, historical and social context in which it arose and continues to evolve. This serves as a good introduction to many of the theologians who wrestled with the transition from modernism to postmodernism in relation to the divine. It is not a clear or clean narrative, but as one makes their way through the text (in my case very, very slowly with a lot of "wait...what?" rereading) a consistent core of what Liberal Theology represents starts to emerge. For me this core is concisely captured by theologian Sallie McFague when she says liberal theology "recognizes and values both radical diversity and deep interconnectedness." Rasor sums up his view a bit more expansively in the final chapter of the book, saying:

"Liberal theology is not for the faint of heart. It points us in a general direction without telling us the specific destination. It refuses to make our commitments for us but holds us accountable for the commitments we make. The liberal religious tradition is an invitation, not a mandate. It invites us to live with ambiguity without giving in to facile compromise; to engage in dialogue without trying to control the conversation; to be open to change without accepting change too casually; to take commitment seriously but not blindly; and to be engaged in the culture without succumbing to the culture’s values. Liberal religion calls us to strength without rigidity, conviction without ideology, openness without laziness. It asks us to pay attention. It is an eyes-wide-open faith, a faith without certainty."

This is a challenging but worthwhile survey of liberal theological thought. Throughout the book, jems of insight and clarity emerge from long passages of esoteric and specialist terminology. It is well worth the slog.

[Parke Troutman]

While almost masochistic in its willingness to point out limitations and failings of liberal theology, this book ultimately just feels like a lot of other academic social theory and philosophy, just reflected through a theological lens.

This is the first book of theology I've ever read, and I have to say that it's much more armchair (Bourdieu's skhole) than I expected. It felt like the author had too much time to mull postmodernism, as if the reality of his own mortality hadn't seized him by the collar.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to the modern philosophy and theology that gave rise to liberal theology especially for someone without a deep background in philosophy. I thought Rasor could have done more to present the challenges and opportunities of post-modernism for religious communities and draw on a greater variety of philosopher and theologians to do so. The final chapter on the challenge of racism seemed like an add-on. I thought this deserved a bit more attention than it was given.

[Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good survey of western thought and how it helped build and challenges liberal religion. Good book for Unitarian Universalists, or other liberal protestant faiths to read to understand the challenges their faiths face. In addition it is also a good survery of some influential thinkers from the enlightenment to the present,

[Rev. Sharon Wylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful summary of liberal theology’s strengths and weaknesses. This book really lifts up the tensions between the call to community and the privileging of the individual. This is the post-modern liberal dilemma, I believe.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written--a book I think I'll be digesting for a while.

[Joe Cherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the introduction articulated many of the thoughts I'd had over the years, and the book helped me to re-frame my discussions about my faith.

[Nikki Hunt]

Very well organized and lots of good points for liberal religious folks to keep in mind!