A Century of Protestant Theology

Written by Alasdair I. C. Heron Reviewed By Richard V. Pierard

To communicate the vagaries of modern theology to a lay audience is a formidable task and one fraught with pitfalls. It requires a grasp of a number of complex philosophical systems and an understanding of how the various theologies are rooted in these. At the same time one must be able to break them down to their simplest and most basic formulations in order to explicate them to others. With such a plethora of theologies going every way and clashing with one another—thus allowing immature believers to be tossed to and fro and carried about with every kind of doctrine, to use the King James’ Version language—one wonders if it is at all possible to comprehend what is going on unless he or she possesses extensive theological training. Accordingly, Alasdair Heron of New College, Edinburgh is to be commended for his courage to attempt the task and for his competent, lucid treatment of the subject. One wishing to gain a feel for the trends in contemporary theological thought will profit from this work.

Actually he covers two centuries of theology, because it is not possible to understand the thrust of twentieth-century thinking without considering the impact of the Enlightenment and the major early nineteenth-century minds. Developments in this period examined include the origins of liberal theology, idealism, the attack on idealism, dialectical thought, the historical approach to the New Testament and the life of Jesus, the history of religions school, plus several lesser known movements. Entire chapters are devoted to Barth and Bultmann, the two landmark figures of this century, which lay out the basic lines of their thought, indicate sources of this, and examine modifications advanced by other theologians. Their influence, together with that of Ritschl and liberal theology in Britain and North America, is also traced out, as well as the reactions of Reinhold and Richard Niebuhr, Tillich and Hartshorne. The complex, interrelated topics of secular, radical, and political theologies—including Bonhoeffer, Cox, Altizer, Moltmann, and the various strains of liberation theology—are the focus of a chapter, while the development of Protestant ecumenism and new strains in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox thought that contribute to a broader impact of these traditions are exa`mined. The final portion touches upon the phenomenological approach to comparative religions, Jewish-Christian dialogue, existentialism, and the impact of modern science (naturalism, positivism, evolution, and relativity).

The amount of material covered in this survey is breath-taking, and readers who allow their minds to wander may be left behind. Experts will naturally fault Heron for superficiality or complain that some thinker or school of theology has been omitted or slighted by too cursory a treatment. Personally, I would have liked to have seen some discussion of contemporary evangelical theology. For example, little or nothing is said about evangelism or the controversies raging over biblical inspiration, except for a passing reference to nineteenth-century Princeton theology. The ideas of Helmut Thielicke, G. C. Berkouwer, Jacques Ellul, Albert Kuyper, Bernard Ramm, Carl Henry, and Donald Bloesch, just to mention a few of the better known figures, certainly merit some sort of treatment. The lack of consideration which modern evangelical thinkers receive in this minds us of the task that lies ahead. In other words, evangelicals have not convinced the larger theological world that we do have some distinctive things to say. Heron’s work should encourage us to redouble our efforts in this.


Richard V. Pierard

Professor of History, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, USA