Progressive Christianity

The website www.progressivechristianity.org has provided several versions of its ‘core values’ throughout the years. The most recent version, updated in 2022, contains five points, which are quoted directly from their site. Progressive Christians are Christians who: 

1. Believe that following the way and teachings of Jesus can lead to experiencing sacredness, wholeness, and unity of all life, even as we recognize that the Spirit moves in beneficial ways in many faith traditions. 

2. Seek a community that is inclusive of all people, honoring differences in theological perspective, age, race, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, class, or ability. 

3. Strive for peace and justice among all people, knowing that behaving with compassion and selfless love towards one another is the fullest expression of what we believe. 

4. Embrace the insights of contemporary science and strive to protect the Earth and ensure its integrity and sustainability. 

5. Commit to a path of life-long learning, believing there is more value in questioning than in absolutes. 

When we encounter those five points, some readers will see nothing wrong with any of them. Some may object outright to some or all of those tenets. Others may see nothing overtly incorrect but may wonder about the implications and extension of them. The first point seems to intentionally leave room for other paths to salvation besides Jesus Christ, which many believers will find objectionable. Past versions of the ‘core values’ make this explicit. The 2003 version says that progressive Christians “have found an approach to God through the life and teachings of Jesus” but “recognize the faithfulness of other people who have other names for the way to God's realm, and acknowledge that their ways are true for them, as our ways are true for us.” The fourth point of the 2003 version says that progressive Christians “invite all people to participate in our community and worship life without insisting that they become like us in order

to be acceptable (including but not limited to): believers and agnostics, conventional Christians and questioning skeptics, women and men, those of all sexual orientations and gender identities [...]” The 2011 version, which was the most recent until 2022, states that progressive Christians “affirm that the teachings of Jesus provide but one of many ways to experience the Sacredness and Oneness of life [...]” These tenets have evolved in their wording throughout the years. A quick browse of the website’s themed liturgies will show that those principles espoused in earlier versions are very much alive and well in current offerings.

Is Progressive Christianity Scriptural?

Many worldviews or ideologies have positive and negative components, and progressive Christianity certainly contains both. Many of the objections to absolutes come from seeing the flaws that can come when the search for truth through reason and rationality are taken to an extreme. Postmodernists have rightfully concluded that logic and reason do not hold all the answers to life’s hard problems. This recognition is positive and worthy of consideration. Another positive of those who call themselves progressive is that they emphasize that belief should be manifested in action. Unfortunately, almost all beliefs are seen as equally valid under this frame of reference. If there is no absolute truth, how does one know what to believe, and - therefore - how to act? Postmodernism encourages questioning, while at the same time postulating that answers aren’t possible. Questioning is vital. But the point of questioning should be to try to uncover at least some absolutes. There is a big difference in admitting we don’t know it all and believing all is unknowable. God gave us reason and logic to supplement His revealed truth in Jesus. Part of that truth involves discerning right from wrong, based on the principles He has laid out. 

With this rejection of absolutes will usually come a rejection of some of the core values of Christianity. We, as Christadelphians, can respect and relate to the questioning that leads to a different understanding of the scriptures than those of mainstream Christianity. However, the doctrines that are being questioned and discarded by progressive Christianity include doctrines that have solid biblical foundation. Some of these ideas can be found in the works of popular progressive Christian authors. For instance, Marcus Borg writes about how the Bible can be used as a way to experience God, rather than as “correct theology” (Borg, 2015). Dale Allison espouses the view that Jesus was incorrect in his teachings about the end times (Coleman, 2022). Other progressive Christian authors whose names some might recognize include Rob Bell, the late Rachel Held Evans, Glennon Doyle, and Jen Hatmaker. There may be some value in some aspects of their writing; however, there are views such as universal salvation, moral relativism, and acceptance of homosexuality as a lifestyle, among others, that are contradictory with scripture. 

A conversation about progressive Christianity will necessarily include the stances its adherents take on issues such as abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, and medically assisted suicide. Because postmodernism, and by extension, progressive Christianity, is the worldview gaining popularity most at the moment, many reading this will hold beliefs consistent with that view and will have positions on those topics that have not historically been seen as compatible

with Christianity. I will argue - respectfully - that some of those views still are not. In this series, I will argue for our community - as individuals and ecclesias - to undertake a re-examination of worldviews, an analysis of the history and implications of some of the views espoused by society around us, and a comparison of these views to scripture. I will argue for a return to what I believe is a more consistent biblical worldview - one that neither accepts every path as equally valid nor condemns or acts in an unkind manner to those who disagree. 

It is important to have a coherent worldview, one that allows us to fit new pieces of information into a cohesive understanding of the world. I believe this is only possible when we are looking at the world through a biblical lens; and I will argue that this lens is not only the most accurate, but the most straightforward and consistent way of seeing the world. Before reading the next article, consider taking a few minutes to articulate your own worldview, using Bible verses if possible. Some to consider include Romans 12:2, Romans 8:6, and John 4:24. These verses focus on our outlook on the world, highlighting that our thought processes and behavior are to be focused on God’s truth. This is not a common way to view the world today, and those who do so will undoubtedly be seen as simple or old-fashioned. We live in a time when most have been influenced by the thinking that everything is right except stating that something is wrong. We cannot control others’ perceptions of us, but we can ensure that we are applying a biblical worldview with love, truth, and consistency. The rest of this series will strive to do that.