What Is Progressive Christianity?

Progressive Christianity is a contemporary movement, primarily Protestant in makeup, that incorporates aspects of several important earlier Christian movements: mid-19th century evangelicalism, late 19th and early 20th century liberalism, mid-20th century neo-orthodoxy, and late 20th and 21st century liberation movements (racial, ethnic, feminist, womanist, post-colonial, etc.). Not surprisingly, considerable diversity exists, but this is not viewed as a problem because the movement does not define itself in creedal fashion, contrary to conservative movements. (See Delwin Brown’s excellent article on the heritage of Progressive Christianity.)

Progressive Christians typically manifest the following characteristics:

•They affirm that the life and teachings of Jesus provide them a path to God, but they also acknowledge that other people follow other paths to God, and that these paths are as true for those who follow them as the way of Jesus is for Christians.

•Religious belief is not about attaining all the answers, subscribing to creeds, or holding religious absolutes. Truth is never fully attainable; indeed, to claim possession of absolute truth is to commit idolatry. Religious belief involves raising important questions and searching for understanding. In this search for meaning, they encourage the use of sound scholarship and critical reflection, and oppose all efforts to limit free inquiry or the questioning of tradition. A common slogan is “embrace the search, not certainty.”

•Because they understand Holy Communion to symbolize God’s bounteous provision for all people, they are inclusive in their welcome: all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, traditions, etc. They embrace and celebrate human diversity.

•They focus on love and the ethic of reciprocity (“Do unto others . . .”). They believe that the way people treat others (both humans and other-than-humans) is the truest manifestation of what they believe. Thus, they strive to live a life of compassion for all expressed through the establishment of social justice, peacemaking, and the practice of ecological stewardship.

For an excellent overview of the major characteristics of progressive Christianity in novel form, see Marcus J. Borg, Putting away Childish Things: A Tale of Modern Faith .

Representative websites:

The Center for Progressive Christianity

The Progressive Christian Witness

Progressive Christians Uniting

The Institute for Progressive Christianity

The Progressive Christian Magazine

Sojourners

Communicating Christianity in the Public Square

For an entertaining and informative website with numerous podcasts featuring progressive Christian leaders visit Homebrewed Christianity. The goal of webmasters Tripp Fuller and Chad Crawford: "equipping grassroots theologians for transformative thinking, engaging, and living." Highly recommended!