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The modern historical era of liberal theology basically encompass four distinct phases of change. The Enlightenment phase extends from the seventeenth century to approximately the middle or late eighteenth century. It is followed by the Romantic phase which is prominent until the mid-nineteenth century when it fades and then rise in the form of Modernism. The final Dan Marino Jersey , or perhaps more appropriately, the present phase of liberalism (often referred to as Neo-liberalism) began to surface during the twentieth century.

Even though research indicate liberal thought in actuality antedates the aforementioned phases, for purposes of brevity and clarity, this article shall focus on liberal thought as it developed from the age of the enlightenment to the present.

The age of Enlightenment was characterized by the triumph of reason in religion and the evanescence of the doctrine of revelation. Rationalism stressed the a priori ability of human reason to know truth; what could be known could only be known through reason and what could not be known by reason was not truth. Revelation and authority therefore Jordan Phillips Jersey , were not only dismissed as irrelevant but totally unnecessary as well. The chief exponents of rationalism were Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz.

Rationalism gained its first systematic philosophical formulation in the works of Descartes. He applied the mathematical method to human reasoning and argued for a priori ideas and principles. He attempted to prove God's existence by means of an ontological argument beneath which laid his geometrical method of truth. Mainly, whatever is a certainty (clear and distinct ideas) is truth.

Geisler (Christian Apologetics) believed Spinoza's rationalism was more geometric than Descartes. He felt Spinoza rationalized the absolute perfect idea of a perfect being. Man's reason is competent only up to a certain point; beyond this point man must recognize his incapacity and total dependence. It should be noted that Spinoza's rationalism resulted in pantheistic conclusions.

The basis of Leibniz's rationalism was centered on God around the sufficient idea. His approach begins with an examination of scientific findings from experience. He utilizes both ontological and cosmological arguments for the rationalistic explanation of God.

Theological rationalism then, asserts the claims of reason against authority or revelation. The fundamental principles of religion are held to be innate or self-evident. During this phase of liberal thought rationalism DeVante Parker Jersey , orthodoxy suffered some serious secular blows. Rationalists were those who believed in reason with a profound faith. They rebelled vehemently against all authorities outside of man's reason and claimed for reason an autonomy which would enable it to examine all questions without interference.

According to Nagler, rationalisms' aim was to liberate the energies of human nature by the free and fearless use of reason. It virtually ignored all dogmas and rules that impeded freedom of scientific inquiry and the questioning of all accepted truth. The Bible, tradition, religious institutions and religious hierarchies had to submit to the rationalists' reason and experience. There was a basic mistrust of tradition and a philosophical analysis of morality and ethics. The Christian faith was reduced to mere reason with prayers playing a prominent place. It was natural then Cordrea Tankersley Jersey , that God became an impersonal and somewhat aloof deity. And as Nagler pointed out in The Church in History, "rationalism, thinking to explain all life and truth on the basis of pure reason soon degenerated into an intellectual fad." Nevertheless, Enlightenment theology is perceived as the forerunner and ally of liberalism in the struggle against religious intolerance.

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