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# Understand Your Neighbor
- URL: https://mereorthodoxy.com/understand-your-neighbor/
- Published: 2011-03-04T19:17:45.000Z
- Updated: 2026-04-20T21:00:30.000Z
- Description: Understand Your Neighbor
- Author: Mere Orthodoxy
- Tags: Kevin White, Uncategorized

Today Kevin DeYoung shares some key points from Gary Dorrien's [*The Making of American Liberal Theology*](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0664223540?ref=mereorthodoxy.com). DeYoung offers not a critique but a description, reminding us that theological liberalism is a movement and not a bogeyman. A strong critique requires a strong understanding of an idea, and why an intelligent person would believe it.

His post also fleshes out some of what I referenced in [an earlier post ](https://mereorthodoxy.com/?p=4689)about the very different thought-world of theologically liberal Christianity.

Key [quote](http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2011/03/04/the-making-of-american-liberal-theology/?ref=mereorthodoxy.com):

> Liberalism is not a swear word to be thrown around. It is a diverse, but identifiable approach to Christianity, one that differs significantly from historic orthodoxy, not to mention evangelicalism and fundamentalism. Liberals believe they are making Christianity relevant, credible, beneficial, and humane. Evangelicals in the line J. Gresham Machen believe they are making something other than Christianity.

[Read it all.](http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2011/03/04/the-making-of-american-liberal-theology/?ref=mereorthodoxy.com)