“In the sphere of religion, as in other spheres, the things about which men are agreed are apt to be the things that are least worth holding; the really important things are the things about which men will fight.” – J. Gresham Machen
J. Gresham Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism is a relatively short book. My Kindle edition is only 94 pages. Machen concisely presented his support of orthodox Christianity in just six chapters, along with an introduction. The chapter titles include the following: (1) Doctrine; (2) God and Man; (3) The Bible; (4) Christ; (5) Salvation; and (6) The Church. Today, we examine Machen’s introductory thoughts.
From the outset. Machen sought to be conciliatory but not compromising with those with whom he disagreed. He stated that, “Light may seem at times to be an impertinent intruder, but it always benefits in the end.” He understood that he would be praised, and persecuted, for what he wrote. Ultimately, his focus was on the ultimate goal of defending orthodox Christianity. It was a worthy goal. It still is.
Machen did not ignore the changes that had occurred in civilization and society. He acknowledged that modern inventions and industrialism created a new world. To isolate and ignore this was unthinkable.
With the rise of the modern scientific age, Machen understood that the past would be scrutinized and subjected to what he called a searching criticism. He sensed that with the embracing of the present, this coincided with a rejection of the past. He knew that the church would face such an examination and searching criticism for “no institution has based itself more squarely upon the authority of a bygone age,” wrote Machen.
“We are not now inquiring whether such policy is wise or historically justifiable; in any case the fact itself is plain that Christianity during many centuries has consistently appealed for the truth of its claims not merely and not even primarily to current experience, but to certain ancient books the most recent of which was written some nineteen hundred years ago. Inevitably, the question arises whether first century religion can ever stand in company with twentieth-century science.”
This was the problem facing the modern church in Machen’s day in the twentieth century. It remains the problem facing the modern church in our twenty-first century day and time.
Machen’s overall thesis in Christianity and Liberalism was the relation between Christianity and modern culture and whether Christianity could be maintained in a scientific age. Machen understood that this was what modern liberalism sought to answer. However, Machen believed that by abandoning the truth of biblical doctrine, modern liberals had given themselves over to the enemy and that there could be no compromise with those who had done so.
“Mere concessiveness, therefore, will never succeed in avoiding the intellectual conflict. In the intellectual battle of the present day there can be no peace without victory; one side or the other must win,” stated Machen.
Machen criticized modern liberalism in two areas. First, on the grounds that what they were doing and teaching was unchristian or un-doctrinal. Second, that what they were doing and teaching was equally unscientific. Machen’s primary concern and emphasis concerned the former issue and not the latter. He was fully persuaded that the true church was more than capable of warding off what he called the assaults of modern unbelief.
“In showing that the liberal attempt at rescuing Christianity is false we are not showing that there is no way of rescuing Christianity at all. On the contrary, it may appear incidentally, even in the present little book, that it is not the Christianity of the New Testament which is in conflict with science, but the supposed Christianity of the modern liberal church, and that the real city of God, and that city alone, has defenses which are capable of warding off the assaults of modern unbelief,” explained Machen.
Machen wondered that in the midst of all the achievements of modern life, had mankind lost its soul? Was there some lost secret that would restore to mankind the glories of the past? Machen knew there was.
“Such a secret the writer of this little book would discover in the Christian religion. But the Christian religion which is meant is certainly not the religion of the modern, liberal church, but a message of divine grace, almost forgotten now, as it was in the middle ages, but destined to burst forth once more in God’s good time, in a new Reformation, and bring light and freedom to mankind,”
“By showing what Christianity is not we hope to be able to show what Christianity is, in order that men may be led to turn from weak and beggarly elements and have recourse again to the grace of God.”
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 