Conservatism and liberalism in the theology of late nineteenth-century American Protestantism: A comparative study of the basic doctrines of typical representatives

The subject of this dissertation was selected as the result of several factors which are mostly of a personal nature. The writer comes from a religious environment which includes a large measure of fundamentalist influence. The church of which he is a member, being strong evangelistic throughout its history, seemed to be a suitable soil for the planting and growth of such theological ideas as have been maintained by the fundamentalists. The various millennial doctrines especially have been live issues within it. The influence of his home life contributed in similar manner to his religious experiences.;The writer began this study with the idea of devoting the whole dissertation to the thought of Dr. Gordon. However, since through his educational training he had come to accept a more liberal approach to religion and theology it was deemed even more worth while to study the theology of Gordon as it stood in contrast to the liberal thought of Gordon's time. The thinker whose theology seemed most suitable for the purpose of contrast was Dr. W. N. Clarke.;Dr. Clarke set forth his theological system in an adequate manner, while Dr. Gordon did not. Hence, the writer of this dissertation devoted more time to Gordon's works attempting to set forth Gordon's theology in a manner as to have it parallel the system of Clarke. Since the original purpose of the writer was to make a full study of Gordon's thought, he did not attempt to set forth Clarke's whole system with equal completeness. Only those theological subjects with which Gordon dealt are discussed and only to the extent the writer deemed necessary in order to set forth an adequate contrast to Gordon.;The writer also had in mind to set forth these two views as typical of two diverging schools of theological thought of the late nineteenth century. Since this study has thus resolved itself into a comparison of the views of leaders of two schools of thought the writer has attempted criticisms of the different theological points as they are set forth throughout the dissertation. To postpone criticism until the end of the dissertation or to the end of each chapter would probably cause even greater confusion, since the material criticised would be remote from the criticism. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).;However, the writer came in contact with a quite different religious approach throughout his educational career, for the college and theological seminary he attended adopted a broad and liberal view of theological problems. He found no great difficulty in adjusting his religious views as new evidence was presented, but because he remained in the same church he maintained a critical interest in the views which he had formerly accepted with some degree of certainty.