Soul Play: What Is Progressive Christianity Exactly?

Okay, but what does it mean to be progressive? I have problems with this one because the answer is difficult to put into absolutes, as the term “progressive Christianity” is ambiguous to begin with, and so is the nature of progressive Christianity itself. There is a reason for this. Progressive Christianity is inherently complex because one of its core principles is that many people can have many different answers to the question above. Not everyone has to agree with one another because its theology, while firm, does not value absolutes and does not require group consensus. Therefore, the definition of progressive Christianity has to be vague.

It is possible, however, to describe a basic foundation upon which most progressive Christians build their beliefs. This includes a willingness to question tradition, an analytical approach to interpreting the bible, an emphasis on social justice and ecumenism (meaning a commitment to addressing poverty and discrimination), and a devotion to the environment. Progressive Christianity is also set firmly upon the charge of the gospel to “love one another,” drawing much of its theology from that simple commandment, evoking whole-hearted compassion. Finally, a distinctive point in progressive Christian theology is that it affirms and adheres to the Christian faith while simultaneously acknowledging and respecting other faiths. So goes the character of progressive Christianity, this explanation is not only rudimentary; it is also marred by my own beliefs.

If I can’t say what progressive Christianity is, then I can at least say what it isn’t. Progressive Christianity is not fundamentalist or extremist. It is the most “chill” version of Christianity out there. Some Christians wouldn’t even consider it Christianity, because it is so encompassing not only of values but of different types of people. Acceptance of human diversity is one of its tenets. Notable among groups of “diverse humans” is the LGBT community. Progressive Christianity welcomes them. Another distinction from fundamentalism or extremism is that progressive Christianity does not see the word of God as inerrant or even literal in many cases. That’s where a lot of the disparity of belief within progressive Christianity comes from. Everyone takes from the bible what he or she will. At worst, this makes progressive Christians seem confused or hypocritical. At best, it makes for lively discussion and thoughtful prayer.

People ask if the terms “progressive Christianity” and “liberal Christianity” are interchangeable. The answer is no. Liberal Christianity is its own separate category. Christianity opposes conservative Christianity just the same as liberal Christianity does, but it does not dismiss the unique insights expressed in the scripture and in historical Christian tradition. Liberal Christianity holds modernist reason above traditional belief. So, from this perspective, progressive Christianity could be considered rather conservative, and liberal Christianity could be likened to philosophy.

This brings me to my next point. Progressive Christianity is not a political philosophy. It is theological through and through. I’m not pretending that religion doesn’t affect politics. It does in many ways, especially in moral and ethical issues and in issues having to do with the underprivileged and the disenfranchised. Progressive Christianity frowns upon any government that wages unjust wars, deprives the poor, or excludes racial or sexual groups from national liberties. Jim Wallis, a leading voice of the progressive Christian movement wrote a book called God’s Politics, discussing progressive Christian political stances. I want to emphasize, however, that the basic underpinnings of progressive Christianity are not political, but spiritual.

I don’t mean to imply that progressive Christianity is simply a list of oppositions to other things. The fact is that progressive Christianity is not meant to be divisive at all. It is always tempting to fall into an “Us vs. Them” mentality. But that’s not what progressive Christianity tries to do. Progressive Christianity is a movement that is working toward something, not against anything.

Here’s my two cents. We should not involve ourselves in the battle over God’s special blessing. We should not try to claim that our version of Christianity is the only correct and holy version. These efforts are childish and self-indulgent. The book Stealing Jesus by Bruce Bawer is the best resource I’ve come across that discusses this point. Bawer accosts right-wing Christianity of hi-jacking the faith, hogging grace and condemning everyone who disagrees with its theology. This accusation may or may not be a true. It doesn’t matter. The point I got from the book is that we should not be trying to own Christianity at all. We should instead be sharing the blessing of God with all denominations and faiths, promoting unity, not division.

Sources:

• The Center for Progressive Christianity online
• Sojourners publication
• Delwin Brown’s Progressive Christian Beliefs