How do liberal Protestant Christian theologians think? Few people are as capable as our guest, Dr. Paul Capetz, at articulating the heart of liberal Protestantism. Paul has been a friend for a long time. We first met at Claremont School of Theology when he was on sabbatical and we quickly realized how much we enjoy getting nerdy together. In this episode, we discuss his new book, Recovering Protestantism’s Original Insight and how liberal Protestantism inherited Luther’s critical theology.

In the conversation, we discuss…

how to engage historical criticism of the Bible as a modern Christian
the role and function of tradition for theologizing
the contrast between Calvin and Luther when it comes to Biblical authority
can the Bible help us think about ethics today?
the need to free the Bible from an ancient worldview
the existentialist impact of Gospel proclamation
the priority of education within liberal Protestantism
how to be honest in wrestling with and discerning our history
America’s anti-intellectualism and its deep desire to repress its history
Paul tells the story of the Presbyterian church wrestling with same-sex marriage
the relationship between liberal and liberation theologies

Paul E. Capetz is professor of historical theology emeritus at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, and is currently minister at Christ Church by the Sea in Newport Beach, California. He is the author of God: A Brief History and co-editor of James Gustafson’s Moral Discernment in the Christian Life.

Previous Episodes w/ Paul Capetz

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