Tiptoeing along the theological divide

"Liberals are people with their windows stuck open, and conservatives are people with their windows stuck shut. In both cases they have lost the use of their windows."

That bit of wisdom was offered by Dr. Carlyle Marney, a visiting professor of preaching during my seminary years at Duke Divinity School. Marney was a Baptist who served as a pastor of mega-churches before his own health crisis forced him into early retirement. During that retirement, he founded at Lake Junaluska, N.C. "Interpreter's House," a program to help pastors who were feeling burned out from ministry. Marney also did some teaching at Duke. He had a great influence upon many of us seminary students.

I don't know if Marney's characterization is accurate, but I do know that American Protestants are sharply divided theologically. That fact was noted as early as 1976 by Dean Hoge in his book Division in the Protestant House. This divide is a common experience in all Protestant denominations, so that there may be as many differences among United Methodists, for example, as there are among other denominations.

What do we do with this theological divide? Sometimes it has led to terrible bickering and outright battles among factions in The United Methodist Church and other denominations. Even here in Indiana, we often hear people group each other into theological "camps" as if a classification like "liberal" or "conservative" could adequately summarize a person's spiritual journey and religious understanding.

Rather than allow theological differences to continue to divide us, I believe we should converse across this divide, seek greater understanding and perhaps even grow in our own understanding through conversations with those who disagree with us. This is the purpose of our "Coming Together" event on September 17 with Dr. Brian McLaren, the author of books such as A New Kind of Christian and Generous Orthodoxy. We have asked Brian to lead us in a time of dialogue, helping us to tiptoe along this theological divide, seeking new insights and perhaps even new synthesis of our faith. No one has all of the answers, not Brian McLaren, and certainly not me, but I believe that together we can discuss, learn, grow and seek God's guidance.

I invite you to join me in tiptoeing along our theological divide and keeping our windows useable.

Bishop Michael J. Coyner
Indiana Area of the United Methodist Church
"Making a Difference . in Indiana and around the world"

Last updated on 25 Apr 2008

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