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A growing number of theologians are reconsidering the basic methods and sources of theology in light of postmodern thought and arriving at some striking conclusions. In The Evangelical Left, prominent evangelical theologian Millard Erickson offers his astute assessment of this new movement. After tracing the roots of postconservative thought, Erickson identifies several leaders of the movement - Bernard Ramm, Clark Pinnock, Stanley Grenz, and James McClendon - and provides a judicious critique of their work. In successive chapters, Erickson deals with the implications of postconservative theology with regard to the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith - Scripture, God, and salvation. In each case, he finds that the postconservatives, while having made important contributions to current evangelical theology, have also drifted from the fundamental affirmations of conservative evangelicalism.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews   4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: More alertist than alarmist, January 2, 2006 By  Raymond Cannata "Rev. R. Cannata" (New Orleans, LA United States) - See all my reviews    George Marsden has devoted a large portion of his career as an historian of American religion to teh task of defining the term "fundamentalist." He has confessed, only half-jokingly, that the best working definition he can come up with is "an evangelical who is angry over something." But then, what exactly is an "evangelical"? Whether one's approach is sociological or theological, historical or structural, "evangelicalism" is a notorious slippery term to define. This greased pig seems to be getting more slickly lubricated by the minute. Any observer of teh contemporary American religious scene will readily note some surprising theological developments within the rising "Evangelical Left." A growing number of "evangelical" theologians are reconsidering the most basic foundations and methods of theology in light of postmodern thought and arriving at some striking conclusions. As Distinguished Professor of Theology at Baylor's Truett Seminary, and as author of nearly twenty books, including perhaps the most widely-used basic theology textbook among Baptists. Millard Erickson is well-positioned to offer a thoughtful analysis of this movement. More alertist than alarmist, Erickson offers a balanced critique of a trend which concerns him greatly. In the opening chapter Erickson succinctly traces the history of evangelicalism, ably guiding the reader through the usual highlights: Edwards and the Calvinist Great Awakening, Finney and the Arminian Second Great Awakening, the publication of The Fundamentals, the Scopes monkey business, the 1929 reorganization of Princeton Seminary, the founding of Fuller Seminary and the rise of Neo-Evangelicalism. Most recently there has emerged what UVA sociologist James Davison Hunetr describes as "a brand of theology that for generations had been considered 'modernistic' being advocated by theologians who vigorously defend their right to use the name evangelical." Erickson contends that this new brand of 'postconservative evangelicalism" is a movement that had been developing for some time rather silently, but that has only recently emerged publicly. Prominent evangelical teachers such as Roger Olson, Clark Pinnock, Stanley Grenz, and John Sanders are openly "shedding theological conservativism" (p. 29), while continuing to lead the evangelical movement. Erickson offers a list of brief bullet points in order to idnetify the main characteristics of his subject: an eagerness to engage non-evangelicals to the left (accompanied by a disdain for those to the right), a recognition of the influence of social location on theology and the need to seek out multi-cultural voices, a broadening of teh souurces of theology from Scripture alone to include experinece, an emphasis on narrative over propositions, a process theology-influenced conception of God (as a vulnerable and limited risk-taker rather than sovereign controller), a greater stress on teh concern for nature, a belief in universal salvation, a rejection of classical theories of biblical inspiration, an emphasis in Christology on the humanity of Jesus, and a renewed Arminianism. In four tightly-fashioned chapters, Erickson proceeds to illustrate these features from the works of prominent contemporary evangelicals. Chapter two examines the task and method of the Evangelical Left via Pinnock, Grenz, Bernard Ramm, and James McClendon. Chapter three examines the doctrines of Scripture from the vantage point of Jack Rogers, Donald McKim, Robert Gundry, Paul Jewett, including the famous "Black Saturday" incident at Fuller Sem. Erickson's chapter on the doctrine of God features the warm endorsements of certain elements of Charles Hartshorne and Process Theology by such evangelicals as Gregory Boyd, Stephen Franklin, and Richard Rice. The doctrine of salvation chapter provides a solid summary of the arguments of the so-called 'open' view of salvation, variants of universalism, and annihilationism, with Pinnock again garnering