The word liberal when used by itself is imprecise. Liberal Christianity should be distinguished from other forms of liberalism such as liberal philosophy, liberal economics, liberal politics, liberal morality, and so forth. In general, for Roman Catholics “liberalism” means that the teachings of the Vatican (the Pope) are given less authority. For Protestants, “liberalism” usually means that the Bible is interpreted less strictly or less literally. Christian liberalism also tends to affirm (a) that science and religion are compatible; (b) that there is no one correct path to “salvation” which may be stipulated for all people; and (c) that people of faith should be vitally involved in social in issues such as peace, justice, respect for human rights, and environmentalism.
