Woops. More like almost a century ago.
I, know, I know, an obligatory pic:
Sure. J Gresham Machen struggled against the rise of liberal theology in the 20's and 30's. As a result he ended up starting Westminster Thological Seminary in PA and writing much on the subject.
In the book he describes the differences in liberal,"progressive" theology vs. the true Reformed tradition. He describes how liberalism sought to change the church from the inside out, corrupting and perverting traditional biblical principles with "modern" thought. One of his arguments is that if Liberals want their own church, why not depart and form their own? Of course, the answer is in the question as it reveals itself for the destructive power it is. Kind of an Ann Coulterish approach from a half century ago.
Hope that wasn't too much of a ramble for you!
Woops. More like almost a century ago.
I, know, I know, an obligatory pic:
Few books have had as pivotal a role in the battle of ideas as J. Gresham Machen's Christianity and Liberalism. Machen's classic was written in the height of the battle for control over the Presbyterian Church USA (the most prominent of the "mainline denominations"), and defines with brilliance the battle lines between liberal (so-called) Christianity and the orthodox faith. Moreover, it points out exactly what is at stake: the true faith, a opposed to a perverse shadow of that faith, a shadow based on subjectivism which elevates man's sovereignty over God's and ends in believing nothing at all.
It is important to understand that the liberalism Machen castigates is not political but theological (although many if not most of the liberals of the latter camp fell also in the former, numerous prominent political liberals -- such as three-time Democrat Presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan -- fought alongside Machen). This theological liberalism manifests itself in many ways, but is chiefly characterized by a rejection of Scripture as infallibly inspired, a denial of the doctrines of the Fall and of Hell, and a belief in man's evolutionary self-perfection (process theology, with progress guided by an "enlightened" elite). Machen correctly asserts that this is not merely a different approach to the Gospel, but is in fact a different gospel: an exchange of God's sovereignty for man's, God's law-word for man's, God's eternal, unchanging standards for man's evolving, situation ethics. For this reason, Machen contends that liberalism and Christianity are separate things: rival religions, permanently at war.
The one problem with this book (a fault which made good rhetorical sense at the time, but which is somewhat misleading concerning the true nature of the struggle) is Machen's choice of categories. Machen deals with theological conservatives and liberals (legitimate in terms of the Bible's own dichotomy between saved and lost), but misses the inescapable fact that there was a third faction at work in the church (a fact which eventually resulted in his defrocking). That third faction was the great mushy evanjellyfish middle, a pietistic/mystical majority which was neither willing to accept the liberal position nor fight for the conservative cause. As Machen had rightly pointed out two years earlier in his address to incoming students at Princeton (and again, much later, in the last two years of the struggle), these were the Christians who said "'Peace, peace', when there was no peace", and elevated that "peace" over truth. As in all other endeavors, "peace at any price" resulted in defeat, and in the end, it was that great mushy middle which delivered the PCUSA to the left (and over the cliff).
Even so, it is important to note when examining this struggle that the conservatives largely threw the game away. I strongly recommend North's Crossed Fingers, the only definitive history of this fight and a masterful analysis of the tactics and mistakes of both sides.
Yet at the end of the day, you must read Machen. This book is vital for Christians defending their churches and denominations against increasing liberal encroachment, and indeed more so by the day. It is as groundbreaking as it is timeless.