Podcast Summary: White Horse Inn

Episode: “Compromise and Resistance: Theology's Battle with Liberalism in the 20th Century”

Date: November 23, 2025
Panel: Michael Horton, Justin Holcomb, Bob Hiller, Walter R. Strickland II

Episode Overview

This episode examines Christian theology’s responses to the rise of liberalism in the 20th century, with a particular focus on European neo-orthodoxy (especially Karl Barth), the African American church’s distinctive journey, and how debates around liberal theology shaped fundamentalism, Pentecostalism, and social gospel movements. The hosts engage with the personalities, historical factors, and theological debates that influenced an entire century, highlighting both conservative reactions and contextual creativity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context: Theological Liberalism’s Rise

• Background: The 19th and early 20th centuries saw the rise of liberal Protestantism, characterized by a focus on religious experience, ethics, and historical-critical methods of interpreting the Bible (03:34).
• The optimism of liberal theology—"We're getting better and better every day in every way"—was challenged dramatically by cataclysmic events like World War I (04:05).

2. Neo-Orthodoxy and Karl Barth’s Response

• Neo-Orthodoxy Defined: Emphasized a return ("neo") to "orthodoxy," proper biblical doctrine, and a focus on divine revelation over subjective experience (03:34, 05:26).

• Karl Barth: A central figure who published his Römerbrief (Epistle to the Romans commentary) in 1919, critiquing liberalism’s naturalistic approach and insisting that God is wholly other, known only by revelation, not by unfolding human culture or inner feeling (04:05–06:05).

  “God’s not just this immanent pawn who’s just kind of hanging out in some type of radical immanence, just supporting humans in whatever they want to do. God is different, known by revelation.” – Justin Holcomb (04:02)

  • Barth’s experience: Disillusioned when nearly all his own theology professors publicly supported German nationalism in WWI (07:04).
  • Barth’s correction: He re-centered theology on Christ and God’s sovereign intrusion ("vertical inbreaking") into history, as opposed to history's linear progress (09:08–09:41).

  “[Barth] started reading the Reformed Orthodox. … At first it was ‘dreary on every page. It’s like reading logarithms.’ But the more I read it, the more I realized… how rich it was. I found myself visibly for the first time in the realm of the Church.” – Michael Horton (11:21)

• Barth's Overcorrection: He distanced God too much from history, leaving little room for natural revelation or the continuity between God and creation. As a consequence, his doctrine of scripture became problematic—Scripture is only God’s word as it becomes God’s word to us in the preaching event (15:33–21:50).

  “The problem with this doctrine of Scripture is that it drives a wedge between the Bible and revelation and it creates a lot of problems adjudicating the actual meaning of the text.” – Walter Strickland (21:24)

3. Barth’s Theological Debates

• Universal Election: Barth is challenged for his views that all people are elect in Christ, but stops short of absolute universal salvation (18:19).

  “Do you believe in universal salvation? He [Barth] says, ‘No, I believe in universal election, but everyone is elect in Christ.’ … But there’s this open possibility that God is so sovereign He could damn you anyway.” – Michael Horton (19:16)

• Criticism From Emil Brunner: Brunner critiqued Barth for reversing law and gospel, undervaluing history and natural revelation, and creating a doctrine unsupported by Scripture (19:42).

4. The African American Church’s Distinctive Path

• Isolation From Liberalism: Many African Americans weren’t present in the mostly white academic institutions where liberalism took hold. Ministry training came via mentorship, not seminary (25:09).

• Rise of Pentecostalism & Fundamentalism: The Azusa Street Revival (1906–09) birthed a conservative, Christ-centered Pentecostalism (Church of God in Christ), while Black fundamentalism affirmed traditional doctrines but distanced itself from white fundamentalist institutions due to racism and inadequate social concern (25:09–27:20).

• Conscious Resistance: African American Christians resisted liberalizing attempts to “explain away the Scriptures,” with a strong focus on orthodox doctrine and the practical implications of faith for justice and dignity (29:15).

  “Colored folks are not ready as of yet to discard Christianity for civilization. Thank God.” – Jonathan H. Frank, National Baptist Review, quoted by Walter Strickland (30:49)

• The Black Social Gospel: While borrowing the “social gospel” label, Black leaders rooted their activism in orthodox Christianity rather than the evolutionary historicism or utopianism of white liberal social gospelers like Rauschenbusch (31:25–32:33).

5. American Protestant Developments

• White “Social Gospel” Problems: The white American social gospel, strongly tied to ideas of progress, often supported nationalism and, early on, racial hierarchy (33:45).

  “[The] plan of God is preparing the Anglo Saxon for the final conquest of all the weaker races…we will soon see the Anglo Saxon race streaming from America… and then to…” – Bob Hiller, quoting Josiah Strong (33:45)

• Fundamentalists and Eschatology: The divide between fundamentalists and liberals sharpened after WWI, becoming especially clear with issues like Darwinian evolution and biblical authority. Premillennialism replaced the older postmillennialism after the cultural optimism of the pre-war period was shattered (37:53).

6. Eschatology and Black Christianity

• Kingdom-Focused, Not Timeline-Focused: While Black church eschatology emphasized hope, justice, and the “already-not-yet” kingdom, it rarely engaged in debates over premillennialism, postmillennialism, or amillennialism (38:06–38:30).
• Liberation Theology’s Distinct Trajectory: Radical figures like James Cone critiqued eschatological hope as a distraction from present justice, in contrast to the mainstream Black church (38:30).

7. Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Complex Case

• Theological Movement: King's early background was Black Baptist (theologically orthodox and creedal), drifted towards liberal theology at seminary, then returned to his roots after seeing the inadequacy of superficial optimism regarding human nature (40:21–43:43).

• Personalism and the Imago Dei: King took up philosophical personalism to bridge the value of the person (imago Dei) with social activism. He criticized liberalism’s naïve optimism and returned to a deeper appreciation of original sin and human fallenness (43:43–45:32).

  “He [King] said this quote: ‘Liberalism’s superficial optimism concerning human nature caused it to overlook the fact that reason is darkened by sin. And it failed to see that reason by itself is little more than an instrument to justify man's defensive ways of thinking.’” – Walter Strickland (43:43)

• Barth and King: Both figures began optimistic about modern solutions, became disillusioned, and ultimately reaffirmed older Christian doctrines in tension with their liberal upbringings (45:32–46:27).

8. The Independent Story of the Black Christian Tradition

• Not Just a Subplot: Black Christianity developed its own trajectory, often independent of white liberal or fundamentalist narratives (47:14).
• Political Homelessness: Theologically conservative but politically distinct, Black churches historically wouldn't "conserve" the status quo due to systemic injustice in society (47:14–48:30).
• Popular vs. Academic Theology: The real story of Black Christian theology is found at the grassroots, not the academy. Liberationists are an exception, not the main tradition (49:40–50:08).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Barth's Rediscovery of Reformed Theology

  “Reading Calvin was like being in the Himalayas with a waterfall washing over me. It was an exotic experience for him, reading Calvin.” – Michael Horton (11:21)

• On Social Gospel and Race

  “The plan of God is preparing the Anglo Saxon for the final conquest of all the weaker races.” – Quoting Josiah Strong (33:45)

• On Black Christianity’s Resistance to Liberalization

  “Colored folks are not ready as of yet to discard Christianity for civilization. Thank God.” – Jonathan H. Frank, via Walter Strickland (30:49)

• On Martin Luther King’s Return to Orthodoxy

  “Liberalism’s superficial optimism concerning human nature caused it to overlook the fact that reason is darkened by sin. And it failed to see that reason by itself is little more than an instrument to justify man’s defensive ways of thinking.” – Martin Luther King Jr., quoted by Walter Strickland (43:43)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Neo-Orthodoxy & Karl Barth Introduction: 03:34–06:05
• Barth’s Theological Journey and Correction: 06:05–11:21
• Barth’s Influence on Modern Theology: 13:12–15:33
• Portrait of Barth’s Scripture Doctrine: 20:49–23:19
• Black Church & 20th-Century Liberalism: 25:09–32:33
• White Social Gospel & Race: 32:39–37:53
• Black Eschatology and King: 38:06–43:43
• Contrasting Black & White Christian Traditions: 47:14–50:08

Conclusion

The episode underscores that 20th-century Christian responses to liberalism were far from monolithic. Karl Barth’s neo-orthodoxy attempted to recover divine transcendence and biblical revelation, at risk of historic disengagement and theological abstraction. The Black church’s parallel journey involved ongoing orthodoxy, grassroots resilience, and a Christ-centered critique of both white liberal and fundamentalist trends. Figures like Martin Luther King, Jr., exemplify movement from optimism through disillusionment to a renewed, nuanced faith. The conversation closes with a reminder: theology is always contextual and contested, and its true shape emerges only by listening to voices across traditions, especially those from the margins.