Summary
Johannes Hartl, founder of the Augsburg prayer house, recently stated that liberal theology is a dead end that leads to hollow faith. This view was countered by Martin Fritz from the Evangelical Central Office for Worldviews, who responded in a detailed article on Hartl’s YouTube video. Fritz argues that Hartl’s critique does not sufficiently acknowledge the central religious concerns of liberal theology. He explains that liberal theology should always re-evaluate the essential aspects of Christianity—its core beliefs—and balance tradition with contemporary perspectives. Liberalism, according to Fritz, means adapting Christian faith to any situation, thus erasing the concept of a depositum fidei or an immutable body of revealed truth. Critics argue that such changes undermine traditional teachings and could make them obsolete for many people. Fritz emphasizes that this approach would have rendered Christianity unsustainable from its inception as it aligns with Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians: “For the Jewish people, this is foolishness; to us who are being saved, it is God’s power” (1:23).
Key Topics
Johannes Hartl, Liberal Theology, Depositum Fidei
