POSTLIBERAL (POSTMODERN) THEOLOGY AS A MIDDLE WAY BETWEEN CHRISTIAN CONSERVATISM AND RELIGIOUS LIBERALISM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31392/cult.alm.2026.3.2Keywords:
post-liberal theology, postmodern theology, Christian conservatism, religious liberalism, narrative theology, Yale School, cultural-linguistic approach, virtue ethicsAbstract
Contemporary religious and philosophical discourse has long been characterised by acute polarisation between fundamentalist conservatism and modernist liberalism. Both schools of thought, despite their mutual criticism, have proved to be dependent on the rationalist paradigms of the Enlightenment. In this context, the study of postliberal (postmodern) theology, which offers an alternative methodology, is of the utmost relevance for understanding the transformation of contemporary Christian theology. This article analyses the essence of postliberal theology (the Yale School) and justifies its status as a “third” or “middle” way, which overcomes the methodological impasse between the conservative and liberal traditions. The essence of postliberal theology and the justification of its status as a “middle way” are examined through the lens of the conceptual work of George Lindbeck and Stanley Hauerwas. The theoretical foundations of this study are: George Lindbeck’s cultural-linguistic theory of religion and dogma (based on Ludwig Wittgenstein’s philosophy of “language games”), as well as Stanley Hauerwas’s narrative-virtue ethics (shaped by the philosophy of A. MacIntyre). The study has revealed that postliberal theology successfully overcomes the rationalist dictates of Modernity, restoring Christian thought’s authentic narrative and communal dimension. Unlike liberalism, it does not attempt to adapt faith to changing secular standards; and unlike conservatism, it avoids literalist fundamentalism. The academic novelty of this work lies in its analysis of the “Yale School” as a middle way in the dialogue between conservatism and liberalism. The practical significance of the findings lies in their potential application to reforming contemporary religious discourse, developing Christian social ethics and overcoming ideological divisions within Ukrainian and global Christian communities.
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