Die Theologie der sogenannten “Evangelikalen” driftet zunehmend auseinander. Gerald McDermott hat die Entwicklung aus meiner Sicht treffend erfasst. Er beschreibt die Problematik der “post-konservativen Melioristen”:
The problem with post-conservative Meliorism is not just what its leaders are now saying; it is that their approach will lead both themselves and their students further and further afield from historic orthodoxy. There are three reasons for this. First, Meliorists exalt experience at the expense of cognitive understanding or doctrine. Olson says that the essence of authentic faith is a distinctive spirituality “rather than” correct doctrine. Orthopraxy is “prior to” orthodoxy, the main purpose of revelation is transformation rather than information, and doctrine is “secondary” to evangelical experience. Leading Meliorist thinkers speak of experience as “confirming” belief rather than supplying it, but this exaltation of experience over doctrine may lead them to look to experience as a source of doctrine, thus travelling by the experiential expressivist route to liberal Protestantism.
Es beelendet mich, wenn ich diese Entwicklung in unseren Gemeinden mitverfolge. Manchmal fürchte ich mich vor der neuen Generation von Predigern, welche die neuen Dogmen enthusiastisch lehren. Und die Schäfchen, der Bibel schon länger entwöhnt und an Programme gewöhnt, folgen brav.
VD: RK
