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Conservative theology is an expansive term that covers various Christian denominations and movements, such as evangelicalism and fundamentalism. For conservative theologians, the Bible is authoritative, the ultimate source of truth. It is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17, ESV). Conservative theologians therefore maintain a “high view” of Scripture.
There are several other non-negotiable doctrines for conservative theologians:
• Original sin — “Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12, ESV).
• The virgin birth of Christ — “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14; cf. Matthew 1:23).
• The Trinity — “The Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’” (Luke 3:22, ESV).
• The deity of Christ — “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14, ESV).
• The bodily resurrection of Christ — “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have” (Luke 24:39).
• The literal return of Christ — “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11, ESV).
• A literal heaven and hell — “‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us’” (Luke 16:24–26, ESV).
• Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone — “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV). Conservative theology views salvation as a personal conversion from sin to new life in Christ.
Conservative theologians also uphold traditional Christian values. They believe that marriage is between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Mark 10:7), that sex should be limited to the confines of marriage (Matthew 19:6), and that there are only two genders (Genesis 1:27).• The virgin birth of Christ — “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14; cf. Matthew 1:23).
• The Trinity — “The Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’” (Luke 3:22, ESV).
• The deity of Christ — “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14, ESV).
• The bodily resurrection of Christ — “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have” (Luke 24:39).
• The literal return of Christ — “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11, ESV).
• A literal heaven and hell — “‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us’” (Luke 16:24–26, ESV).
• Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone — “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV). Conservative theology views salvation as a personal conversion from sin to new life in Christ.
Conservative theology has had an impact on politics, but it should not be confused with the “Christian right,” a political movement that champions moral, social, and cultural conservatism. Though many conservative theologians constitute the core of the Christian right (or the religious right), not all conservative theologians fall into that camp. A Christian can therefore be theologically conservative and not be economically or politically conservative.
