Liberal Protestantism refers to a modern movement that seeks to formulate a form of Christianity contoured to the critical demands of modernity—one that works in consonance with, rather than in opposition to, Enlightenment philosophy, science, [Page 704]historical research, and culture as a whole. In regard to social issues, liberal Protestantism, or mainline Protestantism as it is sometimes referred to in distinction from evangelicalism, developed a “Social Gospel” that understands social responsibility and democratic ideals to stand at the forefront of religious life. If the Reformation shifted the emphasis of religious life from the church to the individual, liberal Protestantism seeks to shift the emphasis from the individual to society. Furthermore, liberal Prote stantism came of age in Europe and the North America during the 19th ...