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Neo-orthodox is a major Protestant theological development in the 20th century.  Originating in Europe after World War I, it spread to the U.S. in the 1940s and 1950s and to some extent displaced [[Liberal Christianity]] with its emphasis on God as the centerpiece of religion.

Neo-orthodox is a major Protestant theological development in the 20th century.  Originating in Europe after World War I, it spread to the U.S. in the 1940s and 1950s and to some extent displaced [[Liberal Christianity]] with its emphasis on God as the centerpiece of religion. It dominates the [[Mainline]] Protestant denominations.

Neo Orthodox theologians have characteristics in commmon with both the [[Religious Left]] and the [[Religious right]]. Its members include the Swiss theologian [[Karl Barth]] and the first generation American theologian [[Reinhold Niebuhr]]. They rejected much of the [[Liberal Christianity#Origins of liberal Christianity|liberalism]] of the [[social gospel]], emphatically embracing the doctrine of original sin, but still held modernist biblical criticism in high regard and never fully questioned the liberal foundations of science—unlike [[fundamentalism|anti-modernism]], which rejects biblical criticism and never shies away from such confrontation.  

Neo Orthodox theologians have characteristics in commmon with both the [[Religious Left]] and the [[Religious right]]. Its members include the Swiss theologian [[Karl Barth]] and the American theologian [[Reinhold Niebuhr]]. They rejected much of the [[Liberal Christianity#Origins of liberal Christianity|liberalism]], emphatically embracing the doctrine of original sin, but still held modernist biblical criticism in high regard and never fully questioned the liberal foundations of science—unlike [[fundamentalism|anti-modernism]], which rejects biblical criticism and never shies away from such confrontation.  

The origins of the neo-orthodoxy movement stem from Karl Barth's initial preaching in the way he had been taught at seminary, soon believing many of his own thoughts and words to be hypocrises, and then, subsequently rejecting and refuting 350 years of German, Swiss Protestant teaching—almost everything after or outside of [[Martin Luther]] and [[John Calvin]]. Karl Barth asserted that God is "wholly other" and that man must reshape himself to God's design and not the other way around as had become the norm in 19th century Swiss, German Christian theology<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,949287,00.html "Thunder and Lightning in a Pen"], Richard N. Ostling, ''[[Time magazine]]'', Monday, Aug. 03, 1981 </ref>. The movement was by no means unified. Still, one common characteristic is an enthusiam for the thought of the Russian [[Fedor Dostoevski]] and the Dane [[Soren Kierkegaard]] and a rejection of 19th century German theological thought (e.g., [[Wilhelm Herrmann]]).

The origins of the Neo-Orthodoxy movement stem from Karl Barth's realization around 1920 that his old ideas were outmoded. Barth then rejected 350 years of German Protestant teaching—almost everything after or outside of [[Martin Luther]] and [[John Calvin]]. Barth asserted that God is "wholly other" and that man must reshape himself to God's design and not the other way around as had become the norm in 19th century Swiss, German Christian theology<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,949287,00.html "Thunder and Lightning in a Pen"], Richard N. Ostling, ''[[Time magazine]]'', Monday, Aug. 03, 1981 </ref>.  

 

 

One common characteristic is an enthusiam for the thought of the Russian [[Fedor Dostoevski]] and the Dane [[Soren Kierkegaard]] and a rejection of 19th century German theological thought (e.g., [[Wilhelm Herrmann]]).

==American branch==

==American branch==

The American branch of neo-orthodoxy is the theological literature ''by'' and ''on'' [[Reinhold Niebuhr]], his brother [[H. Richard Niebuhr]], and his friend whom he helped extract from Nazi Germany [[Paul Tillich]].  Within the American Academy and mainline churches from the 1930's through the 1960's the theological work of these three men eclipsed that of any others.

The American branch of neo-orthodoxy is the theological literature ''by'' and ''on'' [[Reinhold Niebuhr]], his brother [[H. Richard Niebuhr]], and his friend whom he helped extract from Nazi Germany [[Paul Tillich]].  Within the American Academy and mainline churches from the 1930's through the 1960's the theological work of these three men eclipsed that of any others.

Another way to categorize and define neo-orthodoxy is as a subset of [[Reformed Churches|Reformed Christianity]].  This was done by [[George M. Marsden]] and others in the book ''Reformed Theology in America: A History of Its Modern Development'' (Eerdmans, 1985).<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=S_ja7y27VYsC ''Reformed Theology in America''] (Google Book preview)</ref>

Another way to categorize and define neo-orthodoxy is as a subset of [[Reformed Churches|Reformed Christianity]].  This was done by [[George M. Marsden]] and others in the book ''Reformed Theology in America: A History of Its Modern Development'' (Eerdmans, 1985).<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=S_ja7y27VYsC ''Reformed Theology in America''] (Google Book preview)</ref>

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