Both he and Machen were later censured by the Presbyterian Church because of their defense of orthodoxy against liberal and modernist theology.
Around this time, he discovered the writings of Karl Barth, the eminent Swiss theologian whose pioneering work in neo-orthodoxy was a reaction against liberal theology.
Sponde then moved to Bordeaux and spent the last years of his life writing against Calvinist theology.
The movement rebelled against liberal theology, including liberal Grundtvigianism focusing on preaching an evangelical message and rejecting activist or idealist notions.
Another early critic was Magnús Eiríksson who criticized Martensen and wanted Kierkegaard as his ally in his fight against speculative theology.
From 1987 to 1990 he served at Dvorce, continuing with samizdat writings against liberal theology and occultism.
However, al-Shahrastani was certainly not totally against theology or philosophy, even if he was very harsh against the theologians and the philosophers.
He was often accused of being too "traditionalist" and against progressive theology.
The importance of traditions is emphasized by al-Shaykh al-Saduq and he quotes traditions against speculative theology.
The charm of Rainbow Valley had no potency against German theology.