IV Press’ Addenda & Errata blog has a post up calling writers and readers alike to stop and think before applying the labels “liberal” or “conservative” to theological positions and observations. It’s not that those labels are always inappropriate—rather that they make it too easy for us to lazily categorize views as one or the other without thinking them through.

The post restricts itself to the sphere of theological books and publishing, but I think the point stands if we apply it more broadly too. Given that most Christians I’ve met, from hardcore fundamentalists to lofty progressives, fall somewhere along the broad spectrum between theological conservatism and liberalism, it seems a shame that we all tend to lump people and positions into one of the two opposite camps. I bet most theological “conservatives” have at least one or two beliefs that lean towards the liberal end of the spectrum, and vice versa—how can we represent such a person’s worldview if the only words we use are “liberal” or “conservative”?

update: got the blog title wrong. Hey, it’s Friday afternoon…