Evangelical vs. Liberal

James K. Wellman describes the worldviews of Protestant liberal and evangelical subcultures exemplified in vital congregations (growing numerically and financially) in the Pacific Northwest. He argues for the integrity of each worldview, delineates their inner logic and mutual antagonisms, and considers their implications for the fortunes of these two subcultures in U.S. Protestantism both nationally and regionally. The description is shaped by his theory of religion—a coherent symbolic narrative system, including core moral claims, that generates “symbolic and social boundaries” and guides choices (34). Reasoning that vital congregations in an open religious marketplace would best exemplify the religious moral worldviews of these two Protestant subcultures, Wellman researched 24 evangelical and 10 liberal congregations in western Oregon and western Washington (46). He compares their understandings of Jesus/Christology, the authority of scripture, epistemology, sin and grace, and gender roles. He explores their positions on abortion, the environment, gay marriage, and the war in Iraq. He also compares the content and style of their worship, their forms of organization and authority, their use of technology and the web, their nurture of children, and their approaches to evangelization, including foreign missions.

Narrative · Nature versus nurture · Protestantism · Sociology · Theology · Worship · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Anthropology · Gender Studies · Philosophy · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Society, and Development · Religious studies