Now, before you stop reading because I said the word ” liberal, let me explain what that word means from a theological perspective. It begins by, in a sense, separating the partisan political meaning from the theological.
The English word liberal derives from the Latin liber, meaning ‘free’. From a theological perspective, liberalism is about freedom of inquiry, the freedom to ask questions, wrestle with doubt, and allow faith to grow rather than remain fixed. At its heart, religious liberalism trusts that faith deepens through engagement, not through fear. Allowing God’s voice to continue to speak in and through the Church is a primary action of the Liberal Theological Position.
Liberal catholic Theology is more of a posture than a single system. Rooted in the Anglican/Catholic and sacramental tradition, Liberal Catholic Theology remains open to historical development, critical inquiry, and the lived experience of humanity. Liberal Catholic Theology seeks to remain faithful to the core of the Christian faith while leaving space for honest intellectual discovery and pastoral sensibilities with confidence in the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit.
The central belief of Liberal Catholic Theology is that God is truly revealed in Jesus Christ, genuinely present in the sacraments, and actively at work within history, culture, and human reason.
Rather than using strict doctrinal boundaries to define positions, Liberal Catholic Theology is best understood through its method, sources, and aims.
Theological Method: Faith Seeking Understanding
Liberal Catholic Theology fits within the classical Christian conviction that faith and reason are not opposed to one another. It shares Anselm’s conviction that theology is fides quaerens intellectum, faith seeking understanding, but also states that doctrine is not static or immune from historical context.
Archbishop William Temple (Archbishop of Canterbury 1942-1944) stated this approach clearly when he wrote, “Theology is the effort to understand the revelation which has been given, and to express that understanding in terms of the thought of the age.” (Nature, Man and God, 1934)
Liberal Catholic Theology does not reject advancements in biblical scholarship, historical criticism, philosophy, and the natural sciences, and does not perceive those advancements as threats to faith but as tools for deeper comprehension.
Keeping intellectual honesty at the heart of theological discovery distinguishes Liberal Catholic theology from both ends of theological inquiry, rigid dogmatism and doctrinal minimalism. Tradition is neither dismissed nor idolized. Doctrine is respected as the accumulated wisdom of the Church, but is always interpreted through the lens of its historical formation and pastoral purpose.
Sources of Authority: Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience
Liberal Catholic theology finds itself within a broad understanding of authority, Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience, often called the “Wesleyan Quadrilateral.” The Anglo-Catholic view understands authority from the perspective of Scripture, Tradition, and Reason. Wesley, and therefore Liberal Catholic Theology, added the point of view of Experience and how the Church has experienced authority.
Scripture is understood as being inspired and authoritative, but is read critically and in context. Scripture was written at a particular time in history to a particular group of people, having a particular experience. Understanding who, what, when, where, and why helps to better understand what is written.
Bishop Charles Gore wrote, “The Bible is not itself the revelation, but the record of the revelation.” (The Reconstruction of Belief) Liberal Catholic Theology is able, then, to affirm biblical authority without denying historical development, literary diversity, or ethical complexity.
Tradition is the living memory of the Church, particularly as expressed in the early ecumenical councils, the Church Fathers, and the sacramental life. As Yves Congar later phrased it, tradition is “the living transmission of the Gospel in the Church,” not mere repetition of past formulas.
Reason and experience function in competition with revelation but as ways in which revelation is received, tested, and embodied. Liberal Catholic theology assumes that truth is coherent and that God’s self-disclosure cannot contradict the realities of the created world.
This brings me to a definition of Liberal Catholic theology:
A sacramental and incarnational approach to Christian faith that affirms the historic catholic tradition while engaging critically with history, reason, and experience, understanding doctrine as living truth ordered toward communion, healing, and participation in the life of God.
Liberal Catholic Theology is catholic without being rigid, liberal without being relativistic, and faithful without being fearful.
