Contemporary theology emerged in the early 20th century, with varying beliefs and rejection of literal interpretations of sacred texts due to scientific discoveries. It is not limited to Christianity and includes modern religious beliefs of Judaism and Islam. Conservative theologians called for a return to orthodoxy in response to neo-Orthodox theology.
Contemporary theology generally refers to theological views of Christianity that first arose in the early 20th century. There is no theological viewpoint that meets the definition of contemporary theology, as there are many variations in beliefs. With the advent of rapidly increasing technological advances in the first half of the 20th century, sacred texts such as the Bible were viewed with a critical eye. Some theologians have questioned whether the events described in these texts actually occurred or were intended to be regarded as symbolic. While contemporary theology is often associated with the Christian religion, it is also a term used to describe other modern theologies.
In the early 20th century, several religious movements, which arose both spontaneously and separately among various adherents in the United States, called for a return to conservative theology. In the views of these adherents, the Christian Bible has often been viewed as a literal account of man’s history and his future destination. This theological development, in general, is seen as a response to the neo-Orthodox theology that had earlier spread through the teachings of European Christian theologians. They were religious leaders who spread the belief that the Christian Bible was allegorical in nature. In response, conservative theologians have called for a return to orthodoxy.
Contemporary theologians seek to understand the accounts in sacred texts in the light of knowledge gained over the past century. Faced with the difficulty of reconciling scientific information with the creation story and other miraculous events recounted in the Bible, many theologians began to reject a literal interpretation. By the early 20th century, rapid technological advances had led to scientific discoveries that seemed to conflict with Biblical accounts of creation and other natural events.
These advances led many Christians to reject the Bible as a factual record of human history. To many theologians, it was later seen as a collection of spiritual allegories written by an ancient people that needed to be interpreted within the context of those ancient social mores. Such a shift in beliefs set the stage for the development and acceptance of contemporary theology.
Variations in contemporary theology are many, but virtually all contemporary theologians have rejected ancient stories recorded in the Bible, such as the creation of Adam and Eve, as literal events that occurred in a miraculous way. Some have also rejected beliefs long held sacred by many religions, such as the existence of a literal heaven and hell. Contemporary theology, as a term, can also be used to describe the many variations of modern religious beliefs, such as contemporary Judaism, or contemporary religious beliefs among adherents of Islam.
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