As I look across the social media landscape and see PCA Teaching Elders enthusiastically commending the works of James Cone (the father of Black Liberation Theology) I wonder how much longer before denials of orthodox trinitarianism, substitutionary atonement, justificiation by faith alone, the necessity of the new birth, etc will be deemed in some Presbyteries as “not striking at the vitals of our religion.”

At the risk of being labeled a dreaded “Reformed Fundamentalist” I offer this call for the PCA to reject God-less ideologies such as Critical Theory, Intersectionality and their religious cousin Liberation Theology. I’m honestly shocked that this even has to be said. I spent a rather significant amount of time researching Liberation Theology while in seminary and wrote a research paper on Jurgen Moltmann’s theology of God’s suffering. Indeed, Moltmann was my primary focus during seminary. Those of you familiar with Motlmann know that he was a Liberation Theology enthusiast and helped popularize it outside Latin America. When I took my ordination vows I never expected that ideas springing from the poison well of Critical Theory and Liberation Theology would start to gain traction in the PCA. And yet that is precisely what is happening. As I look across the social media landscape and see PCA Teaching Elders enthusiastically commending the works of James Cone (the father of Black Liberation Theology) I wonder how much longer before denials of orthodox trinitarianism, substitutionary atonement, justificiation by faith alone, the necessity of the new birth, etc will be deemed in some Presbyteries as “not striking at the vitals of our religion.”

Yes, I know. I sound like an alarmist. I’m sure somewhere in the above paragraph some rather creative minds may even imagine a 9th Commandment violation.

But it was less than 4 years ago when I was mocked rather broadly for suggesting that Liberation Theology was starting to pop up in some circles in the PCA. I was told I must be a racist for imagining such things. “No one in the PCA is embracing Liberation Theology!” I was told. And yet before long we were being told to read James Cone. Now I’m even seeing that the resistance to James Cone among some in the PCA must be born in racism. It is even being suggested in certain Presbyteries that candidates for ordination should demonstrate an appreciation for Liberation Theology. We are being told that Liberation Theology and Critical Theory are important interpretive tools when approaching the Bible. You do the math. I know there is no such thing as a slippery slope. No sir. Never has been one of those. But we do have 100 years of denominational history in the United States from which we may draw a lesson or two.

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