Christianity and Liberalism

Shall the Fundamentalist Win?

Christianity and Liberalism (book by J. Greshem Machen)

Early 1920’s was a pivotal time in the American church as well as the broader culture.

Nations assumption on faith, identity, and politics were all being called into question.

Princeton Theological Seminary (Long standing incubator for pastors and missionaries) - Death of B.B. Warfield in 1921 was a turning point for what evangelicals call OLD Princeton (marked by a healthy confessionalism)

Princeton begin to succumb to the growing tide of liberalism.

Harry Emerson Fosdick (a Baptist that pastored New York’s first Presbyterian Church) preached a sermon in May of 1922, called “Shall the Fundamentalists Win?”

The sermon called into question:

the virgin birth

inspiration of Scripture

substitutionary atonement

second coming of Christ

Fosdick represented a small minority of Protestants moving in that direction.

This was a radio programmed sermon so Fosdick had a lot of influence at that time.

Donald Gray Barnhouse a contemporary of Fosdick. A conservative that battled against the teachings of Fosdick.

“Barnhouse speculated that if Satan took over Philadelphia, all of the bars would be closed, pornography banished, and pristine streets would be filled with tidy pedestrians who smiled at each other. There would be no swearing. The children would say, “Yes, sir” and “No, ma’am,” and the churches would be full every Sunday . . . where Christ is not preached.”

“Modern Naturalistic Liberalism is a different religion.” - Words of J. Greshem Machen

J. Gresham Machen asked, “The question is not whether Mr. Fosdick is winning men, but whether the thing to which he is winning them is Christianity.”

Where did the thinking of Fosdick come from?

In America the Presbyterian church that lead the in this liberalistic thinking.

A lot of thinking came through Presbyterian schools.

Part of it was scholars going over to Germany and bringing back higher criticism.

Charles Augustus Briggs professor of symbolics (confessions) at Union Theological Seminary in New York (known for Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon) excommunicated from the American Presbytery for liberal views.

He went to the Episcopal church

“The Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth” published by Biola University came on the heels of this liberal wave in America.