First, Gary Dorrien is one of the best synthesizers of theological material I've ever read. I had picked up his three part "The Making of American Liberal Theology" and plowed through the first book. It was excellent--broad and readable and incredibly interesting, especially for those of us in the Congregational tradition and the United Church of Christ. In many ways, you can trace the beginnings of American liberal church tradition right back to our Congregational roots.
Dorrien taught at Kalamazoo College for many years before finding a new home at Union Theological Seminary in New York, truly the home of the liberal Christian tradition.
Back to the title of this post: I've been reading his "Remaking of Evangelical Theology" which is another excellent read--a balanced and accesible look at evangelical theology through the eyes of someone from the more liberal Christian tradition.
Why am I reading it? Well, because its important to know what is going on outside one's own theological traditions and milieu. And its a reminder that though we at this church find our selves left of center when it comes to theology, its important to understand our sisters and brothers who don't agree with us, and why issues like biblical inerrancy matter deeply to them. Keeping the conversation going is important for us as people of Christian faith, and Dorrien does a great job of synthesizing the works of the great evangelical thinkers of the last 5o years, making it easier to understand a tradition that is not my own.
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