Date of Award

Spring 2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS)

College

Barnett College of Ministry & Theology

Department

Department of Christian Ministries and Religion

Primary Advisor

Mr. Nick Wallsteadt

Second Advisor

Dr. Chris Green

Third Advisor

Dr. Kenneth Archer

Abstract

We seek to develop a theological and metaphysical critique of the liberal understanding of religious freedom that is juridical in nature, revealing that what it can only mean by both “religion” and “freedom” are inadequate under the light of Christian orthodoxy. Not only is inadequate, but it does not allow orthodoxy to flourish under it, swallowing up all would-be competitors under its own liberal monism. This study pulls heavily from Roman Catholic Communio theology and its already broad critique of liberalism and liberal religious freedom, but also correlates those enlightening critiques with Pentecostalism, bringing an analogous critique of liberal religious freedom from a distinctly Pentecostal theology. In the end, we show that Pentecostalism will have to remove some internal contradictions in order to fully move into a post-liberal and distinctly Christian vision of religious freedom, but that those stumbling blocks can be removed by moving deeper into its truly Catholic elements, bringing forth interesting horizons for ecumenical dialogue that move beyond the scope of this study’s argument.

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