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What Does a Progressive Christian Believe?: A Guide for the Searching, the Open, and the Curious
A systematic understanding of progressive Christianity and the reasons for them.
Progressive Christianity is a family of perspectives that vigorously rejects the “religious right” as a gross distortion of the Christian faith. Just as important, progressive Christianity criticizes and moves beyond the (other) conservatisms and the liberalisms of the immediate Christian past. This book presents one progressive Christian standpoint―introductory in character for ordinary people, not specialist.
Progressive Christianity is a family of perspectives that vigorously rejects the “religious right” as a gross distortion of the Christian faith. Just as important, progressive Christianity criticizes and moves beyond the (other) conservatisms and the liberalisms of the immediate Christian past. This book presents one progressive Christian standpoint―introductory in character for ordinary people, not specialist.
144 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2008
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May 24, 2025
AN EXCELLENT SUMMATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF ‘PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY’
Delwin Brown (1935-2009) was the Dean Emeritus of the Pacific School of Religion, as well as Professor of Christian Theology at the Iliff School of Theology.
He wrote in the Preface to this 2008 book, “Progressive Christianity is a family of perspectives that vigorously rejects the ‘religious right’ as a gross distortion of the Christian faith. Just as important, progressive Christianity criticizes and moves beyond the (other) conservatisms and the liberalisms of the immediate Christian past. In our time, it is new. This book presents one progressive Christian standpoint—introductory in character for ordinary people, not specialists…
“This book seeks to contribute to one of the things now needed---a systematic understanding of progressive Christian beliefs and the reasons for them. This is by no means all that must happen to make the progressive gospel effective in our nation. It may not even be the most important things needed now. But it IS important and it IS needed now. It is absolutely urgent that progressive Christians become articulate about the transforming faith that is within them. For the sake of our nation as well as the Church, we must be able to say WHAT we believe, and WHY, and to say so effectively.” (Pg. xi-xii)
He continues in Chapter 1, “Progressive Christians … reject the right-wingers’ claims for good historical and political reasons. America was not founded as a Christian nation, which fact is all the more remarkable because its founders were Christians. The founders were careful to acknowledge to power of religion in society and to protect the free expression of religion. But the principles on which the country was founded were not those of a specific religion or… of religion in some general sense. Progressive Christians therefore oppose the agenda of the Christian right-wing because, in part at least, it is historically and politically inaccurate.” (Pg. 2)
He suggests, “A progressive Christian theology shares the 19th century evangelicals’ commitment to social justice (even though in retrospect their views were naïve regarding issues of race, gender, sexuality, and even class). But a theology that can endure must be much more deliberate than that of the evangelicals in its intellectual awareness and articulation. The mind is not all of human nature by any means, but it is part of and essential to a healthy Christianity. Hence a progressive Christian movement, if it is to be more than a fad, must be resolutely theological as well as active in the pursuit of justice.” (Pg. 9)
He summarizes, “Progressive Christianity is an analysis and rejection, in the name of Christian faith, of the message that comes from right-wing Christianity. But it is more than that. It is also a critique of liberal and conservative Christianity, as well as a continuation of valuable elements provided by each. But what… is it that progressive Christians affirm, and why? The remainder of this small volume describes basic progressive Christian beliefs… There is room in the progressive Christian community for differences… this book seeks to say why progressive Christianity is ‘gospel,’ a word of ‘good news; that merits living for and sharing with others. And ‘others’ includes liberals who are searching, conservatives who are open, and others who are curious.” (Pg. 11-12)
He observes, “Theological diversity is evident throughout the Bible. Views of human relationships that are authoritarian and liberationist, hierarchical and egalitarian, are all found here. In the New Testament the Jewish Torah is said to be abrogated by Christ at some points and fulfilled by Christ at others. The equality of women is supported in the Bible, as is their subordination to men. Salvation is by faith in Jesus in some portions of the New Testament but in others it is independent of any such faith.” (Pg. 18-19)
He acknowledges, “Many traditional Christians… have wrestled … with the question… ‘Why, if God is all-powerful and good, is there so much utterly pointless evil in the world---evil that no outcome could possibly justify, and evil, in fact that we mortals try desperately to prevent?’ The most credible reply of these anguished Christians is a commendably honest one: ‘We don’t have an answer’… But there is another understanding of God. It is different from the view of God as cosmic monarch… It is the view of God as incarnate.” (Pg. 46-47)
He explains, Ways of thinking about God appropriate to our time are needed and, fortunately, have begun to appear. Two in particular deserve our attention---Openness Theology (sometimes called Freewill Theism) and a family of views known as Process Theology… John Cobb is perhaps the best known Process theologian, and Clark Pinnock is the leading Openness theologian… [Both] modes of thought can be summarized together because, in their explicitly Christian theological forms, both begin with the conviction that love is the fundamental character of God… This means that God is intimately connected to the world, caring for it, and committed to its good. It also means that God, as love, is necessarily sensitive to the world and vulnerable to its developments… God is vulnerable; the life of God is a dynamic process that is affected by the world…. More equitable social and political forms of human community increase the quality of God’s life. The advance of ecological justice is an advance in the divine experience.” (Pg. 49)
He notes, “we must acknowledge that discussions of sin, in American Christianity… have not been very useful… sin-talk has seemed… anti-world, anti-sex, anti-female, anti-pleasure, anti-pride, anti-hope, and opposed to equality and self-affirmation, just to mention a few of the drawbacks!” (Pg. 70)
He states, “Whatever we may think about personal immortality, the notion of ‘eternal life’ is different. It is the claim that the ultimate meaning of our life is its contribution to, and its inclusion in, the reality of God…. A life of fifty, five hundred, or an infinity of years gains its fundamental significance, not by its sheer longevity, but by its acceptance into the Abiding Life that everywhere and always seeks the good.” (Pg. 92)
He concludes, “The basic themes of this progressive perspective can be summarized in seven points: 1. Progressive Christians are people formed by the tradition grounded in Jesus Christ… 2. The Bible is our foundational resource. Its varied interpretations of Jesus Christ and the gospel ‘author’ our identity as Christians… 3. Jesus Christ discloses to us the oneness of God with the world and the manner of God working in it… 4. The God revealed in Jesus Christ is the creative power for good at work in all of creation… 5. Humanity is called to work with God in the service of the entire creation… 6. Sin is thinking of ourselves---individually or collectively---more highly, or less highly, than we ought to think… 7. Salvation is the activity of God incarnate, working through all of the processes of the creation by bringing it to the fullness and health made possible by love…” (Pg. 95-98)
In the Epilogue, he adds, “We need more religion in our public discussions. That is a counterintuitive and even dangerous claim… because it can so easily be misconstrued or misused… There are good reasons, then, for urging that religion be kept out of politics. The only problem is that is not possible, not if we think about the meaning of ‘politics’ and ‘religion’…” (Pg. 111-112)
This book is one of the best summations of Progressive Christianity available.
Delwin Brown (1935-2009) was the Dean Emeritus of the Pacific School of Religion, as well as Professor of Christian Theology at the Iliff School of Theology.
He wrote in the Preface to this 2008 book, “Progressive Christianity is a family of perspectives that vigorously rejects the ‘religious right’ as a gross distortion of the Christian faith. Just as important, progressive Christianity criticizes and moves beyond the (other) conservatisms and the liberalisms of the immediate Christian past. In our time, it is new. This book presents one progressive Christian standpoint—introductory in character for ordinary people, not specialists…
“This book seeks to contribute to one of the things now needed---a systematic understanding of progressive Christian beliefs and the reasons for them. This is by no means all that must happen to make the progressive gospel effective in our nation. It may not even be the most important things needed now. But it IS important and it IS needed now. It is absolutely urgent that progressive Christians become articulate about the transforming faith that is within them. For the sake of our nation as well as the Church, we must be able to say WHAT we believe, and WHY, and to say so effectively.” (Pg. xi-xii)
He continues in Chapter 1, “Progressive Christians … reject the right-wingers’ claims for good historical and political reasons. America was not founded as a Christian nation, which fact is all the more remarkable because its founders were Christians. The founders were careful to acknowledge to power of religion in society and to protect the free expression of religion. But the principles on which the country was founded were not those of a specific religion or… of religion in some general sense. Progressive Christians therefore oppose the agenda of the Christian right-wing because, in part at least, it is historically and politically inaccurate.” (Pg. 2)
He suggests, “A progressive Christian theology shares the 19th century evangelicals’ commitment to social justice (even though in retrospect their views were naïve regarding issues of race, gender, sexuality, and even class). But a theology that can endure must be much more deliberate than that of the evangelicals in its intellectual awareness and articulation. The mind is not all of human nature by any means, but it is part of and essential to a healthy Christianity. Hence a progressive Christian movement, if it is to be more than a fad, must be resolutely theological as well as active in the pursuit of justice.” (Pg. 9)
He summarizes, “Progressive Christianity is an analysis and rejection, in the name of Christian faith, of the message that comes from right-wing Christianity. But it is more than that. It is also a critique of liberal and conservative Christianity, as well as a continuation of valuable elements provided by each. But what… is it that progressive Christians affirm, and why? The remainder of this small volume describes basic progressive Christian beliefs… There is room in the progressive Christian community for differences… this book seeks to say why progressive Christianity is ‘gospel,’ a word of ‘good news; that merits living for and sharing with others. And ‘others’ includes liberals who are searching, conservatives who are open, and others who are curious.” (Pg. 11-12)
He observes, “Theological diversity is evident throughout the Bible. Views of human relationships that are authoritarian and liberationist, hierarchical and egalitarian, are all found here. In the New Testament the Jewish Torah is said to be abrogated by Christ at some points and fulfilled by Christ at others. The equality of women is supported in the Bible, as is their subordination to men. Salvation is by faith in Jesus in some portions of the New Testament but in others it is independent of any such faith.” (Pg. 18-19)
He acknowledges, “Many traditional Christians… have wrestled … with the question… ‘Why, if God is all-powerful and good, is there so much utterly pointless evil in the world---evil that no outcome could possibly justify, and evil, in fact that we mortals try desperately to prevent?’ The most credible reply of these anguished Christians is a commendably honest one: ‘We don’t have an answer’… But there is another understanding of God. It is different from the view of God as cosmic monarch… It is the view of God as incarnate.” (Pg. 46-47)
He explains, Ways of thinking about God appropriate to our time are needed and, fortunately, have begun to appear. Two in particular deserve our attention---Openness Theology (sometimes called Freewill Theism) and a family of views known as Process Theology… John Cobb is perhaps the best known Process theologian, and Clark Pinnock is the leading Openness theologian… [Both] modes of thought can be summarized together because, in their explicitly Christian theological forms, both begin with the conviction that love is the fundamental character of God… This means that God is intimately connected to the world, caring for it, and committed to its good. It also means that God, as love, is necessarily sensitive to the world and vulnerable to its developments… God is vulnerable; the life of God is a dynamic process that is affected by the world…. More equitable social and political forms of human community increase the quality of God’s life. The advance of ecological justice is an advance in the divine experience.” (Pg. 49)
He notes, “we must acknowledge that discussions of sin, in American Christianity… have not been very useful… sin-talk has seemed… anti-world, anti-sex, anti-female, anti-pleasure, anti-pride, anti-hope, and opposed to equality and self-affirmation, just to mention a few of the drawbacks!” (Pg. 70)
He states, “Whatever we may think about personal immortality, the notion of ‘eternal life’ is different. It is the claim that the ultimate meaning of our life is its contribution to, and its inclusion in, the reality of God…. A life of fifty, five hundred, or an infinity of years gains its fundamental significance, not by its sheer longevity, but by its acceptance into the Abiding Life that everywhere and always seeks the good.” (Pg. 92)
He concludes, “The basic themes of this progressive perspective can be summarized in seven points: 1. Progressive Christians are people formed by the tradition grounded in Jesus Christ… 2. The Bible is our foundational resource. Its varied interpretations of Jesus Christ and the gospel ‘author’ our identity as Christians… 3. Jesus Christ discloses to us the oneness of God with the world and the manner of God working in it… 4. The God revealed in Jesus Christ is the creative power for good at work in all of creation… 5. Humanity is called to work with God in the service of the entire creation… 6. Sin is thinking of ourselves---individually or collectively---more highly, or less highly, than we ought to think… 7. Salvation is the activity of God incarnate, working through all of the processes of the creation by bringing it to the fullness and health made possible by love…” (Pg. 95-98)
In the Epilogue, he adds, “We need more religion in our public discussions. That is a counterintuitive and even dangerous claim… because it can so easily be misconstrued or misused… There are good reasons, then, for urging that religion be kept out of politics. The only problem is that is not possible, not if we think about the meaning of ‘politics’ and ‘religion’…” (Pg. 111-112)
This book is one of the best summations of Progressive Christianity available.
October 11, 2024
Progressive Christians, you need a better writer to explain what you believe, because this was as clear as mud. This was published in 2008, so I'm going to wildly assume such Progressive Christian authors exist.
I did realize that Progressive Christianity is different from the term "progressive" used in Americam politics. He takes great pains to also declare that this isn't Liberal Christianity, which was a denomination centuries ago, or something. Again, clear as mud.
With all of the hemming and hawing, mental gymnastics and hair-splitting, it is obvious to me that Progressive Christians are trying not to reduce suffering in the world, but to ensure the survival of Christianity in the coming decades. Because Heaven forbid these idiots hold down a real job.
It's just a kinder, gentler form of Christianity -- which is to say it's like a kinder, gentler form of torture.
No religious person in America gives a shit about you. They just care about themselves. They put on a big bullshit circus to razzle-dazzle you to leaving them alone. Christians are currently in control of everything in America. There does not seem to be anything they won't do to stay in power.
Brown goes on to say that the Bible is fallible, which is true. He also says that God is not omniscient or omnipotent, but He is omnipresent. This is because God refuses to go against a human beings free will.
So, it's all our fault.
Which is exactly the kind of thing abusers say to their victims.
Brown also writes that God suffers along with us. Oh, for fuck's sake. God is suffering for not helping to reduce suffering in the world? Boo fucking hoo for God.
Why anybody would want to worship such a stupid, sadistic, psychopathic deity is beyond me.
I was a Christian for a dozen or so years. I was raised a Born Again Christian, sent to a strict Christian school, got the whole brainwashing thing. But I grew up.
If Christians were really serious about reducing suffering in America, they would:
* Make church buildings animal or homeless shelters, or something useful.
* Get rid of all salaried positions in a church.
* Pay the damn church's taxes, AND the back taxes, since churches are nothing but tax-exempt businesses.
* Shut up about your stupid invisible friend.
* Get a real job.
I did realize that Progressive Christianity is different from the term "progressive" used in Americam politics. He takes great pains to also declare that this isn't Liberal Christianity, which was a denomination centuries ago, or something. Again, clear as mud.
With all of the hemming and hawing, mental gymnastics and hair-splitting, it is obvious to me that Progressive Christians are trying not to reduce suffering in the world, but to ensure the survival of Christianity in the coming decades. Because Heaven forbid these idiots hold down a real job.
It's just a kinder, gentler form of Christianity -- which is to say it's like a kinder, gentler form of torture.
No religious person in America gives a shit about you. They just care about themselves. They put on a big bullshit circus to razzle-dazzle you to leaving them alone. Christians are currently in control of everything in America. There does not seem to be anything they won't do to stay in power.
Brown goes on to say that the Bible is fallible, which is true. He also says that God is not omniscient or omnipotent, but He is omnipresent. This is because God refuses to go against a human beings free will.
So, it's all our fault.
Which is exactly the kind of thing abusers say to their victims.
Brown also writes that God suffers along with us. Oh, for fuck's sake. God is suffering for not helping to reduce suffering in the world? Boo fucking hoo for God.
Why anybody would want to worship such a stupid, sadistic, psychopathic deity is beyond me.
I was a Christian for a dozen or so years. I was raised a Born Again Christian, sent to a strict Christian school, got the whole brainwashing thing. But I grew up.
If Christians were really serious about reducing suffering in America, they would:
* Make church buildings animal or homeless shelters, or something useful.
* Get rid of all salaried positions in a church.
* Pay the damn church's taxes, AND the back taxes, since churches are nothing but tax-exempt businesses.
* Shut up about your stupid invisible friend.
* Get a real job.
May 1, 2018
My favorite professor in undergrad continually recommended this book to me and I think I would have loved it a lot more if I had taken his advice three years ago when I was in my sophomore year of college rather than halfway through seminary. It is meant to be a good, simple, and short primer into what progressive Christians believe and in that regard, it most assuredly succeeds. Its simplicity is perhaps most clearly seen through the fact that while Brown is a process theologian - and this book has definite process themes within it - you would hardly be able to tell due to how non-technical his language is. A book that I would highly recommend to friends of mine who don't study theology, but not to those of mine who are already steeped in it.
December 16, 2010
very interesting read. Although I do not fully agree with what this writer says, he has good insight into what Progressive Chrsitians believe. As the writer says, it is what this Progressive Chrsitian believes... so you don't have to agree fully to read this good book, in fact even if you don't agree with some or all of it, it is a good book to get insight into what Progressives believe.
October 23, 2009
This small book give a solid introduction to Progressive Christianity. It's a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the topic.
August 24, 2012
Here's my review of this very worthwhile book: http://lovinggodwithallyourmind.com/2...
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews