Compassionate, questioning and messy
the appeal of progressive Christianity
Editors’ note: This is the fourth in a series of six articles exploring some of the theological variation we find in EMC. Our goal is to grow in our understanding of why certain theological positions are attractive to people in our churches, with the hope that this will help us have more informed conversations.
Progressive Christianity is probably the most difficult of the series and we are grateful to Ruth for being willing to write on the topic.
The next article in the series will be on the appeal of fundamentalism, and the final article will be on the appeal of EMC’s particular blend of evangelicalism and Anabaptism.
Writing about the appeal of progressive Christianity is a daunting task. Daunting because it is not a clearly defined movement—and what is commonly referred to as progressive Christianity does not have a long history like the other forms of Christianity discussed in this series.
Instead, progressive is a word tossed around by both supporters and critics without a clear definition of what they mean. By what standards is something considered progress? Compared to what is something called progressive? In realms outside of theology, I am thankful that my doctor does not practice medicine in the same way my grandparents’ doctors did. I am grateful that I am not driving a Model T Ford. I appreciate the ability to communicate easily with my smart phone but am concerned about society’s dependence on technology and how that impacts the development of younger generations.
What is progress? We do not offer sacrifices like Jesus and the apostle Paul. We are no longer burning people at a physical stake for disagreeing with the teachings of the church. Were Jesus’ teachings progressive in their day? Were the teachings of the early Anabaptists progressive?
That which is often considered theologically progressive is a movement of Christians who are wrestling with the faith they have grown up with and exploring what it looks like to be faithful to God when they disagree with some of the teachings of the church or some of the ways in which the church has lived out its faith.
Those labelled as progressive Christians have been seen as those on their way out of the Christian faith, those who don’t hold to the authority of Scripture, and the legitimacy of their faith is sometimes questioned by those within evangelical circles.
Because of these questions, those labelled as progressive Christians have been seen as those on their way out of the Christian faith, those who don’t hold to the authority of Scripture, and the legitimacy of their faith is sometimes questioned by those within evangelical circles. So, to write about the appeal of progressive Christianity raises fears that I will be labelled as someone who doesn’t hold to the teachings of Scripture and whose faith is suspect. Let me assure you that I hold to the EMC confession of faith. And like many other pastors in our conference, I try to hold a safe space for people to ask questions and wrestle with God and God’s people, like the people of Israel in whose footsteps we follow.
Re-examination of faith
It is that wrestling with faith that leads some Christians to ask, “Are we getting this right?” They look at where their faith doesn’t make sense to them and ask questions to better understand how their experience of God and God’s people matches up with Scripture. Jesus was known for saying, “You have heard it said but I say to you…” Or to reframe that for today, “We have heard it said in our churches, but what does Jesus actually say?”
Christians who are sometimes labelled as progressive want to know if the teachings they wrestle with are accurate understandings of God’s words in Scripture or an interpretation by the church that needs to be re-evaluated in light of current theological and scientific discoveries. They want answers that make sense in today’s culture. I too want a faith that answers the questions of my children who go to public schools and their friends who did not grow up in the church.
Christians who are sometimes labelled as progressive want to know if the teachings they wrestle with are accurate understandings of God’s words in Scripture or an interpretation by the church that needs to be re-evaluated in light of current theological and scientific discoveries.
Move away from fear-based faith
One of those questions is why a good God would condemn people to suffer in hell. As a child I often came to my parents in the evening when I was supposed to be sleeping, terrified that I was going to hell. They would remind me that I had prayed to receive Christ and that my desire to please God meant that I had true faith. But that fear of hell morphed into a legalistic need to be good enough to earn my salvation. Evangelism was necessary to save people from hell even though it was a real struggle for me. As I have matured in faith, I have come to understand God’s deep love for me and see evangelism as an invitation to a relationship with God rather than a saving from hell.
Some Christians discard the doctrine of hell out of experiences like mine and emphasize God’s loving nature. I cannot ignore hell because I see that Jesus talked about punishment for those who choose not to walk in God’s ways, but some newer teachings about hell have helped me move away from an unhealthy fear of judgment to a trust that God sees all, knows all and will judge rightly and with mercy.
Passionate about the least of these
I loved studying the Bible, so after high school I went to Providence College for a degree in biblical studies and theology. Field education requirements at Prov meant I had to volunteer in some capacity each semester. So, I helped at an inner-city school in Winnipeg and walked the streets with Love Lives Here serving coffee and hot chocolate to prostitutes and homeless people. I interned one summer at Inner City Youth Alive planning small groups for girls and supervising at The Bridge drop-in centre. I also worked in a daycare and preschool for low-income families in Kansas. These experiences shaped my desire to assist people who were struggling and led me to pursue a social work degree at the University of Manitoba.
The concern for the poor and the orientation toward justice that I see among some “progressive” Christians appeals to me. They advocate for programs and services for those who cannot afford them. They work to break down barriers of race and poverty. They draw attention to systems that benefit the wealthy at the expense of the poor. They emphasize how systems such as government, healthcare, education and religious institutions have created and perpetuated injustices.
Acknowledgement of harm
Christians with a progressive bent also care deeply for wounded Christians. I am heartbroken when I hear of Christian leaders like Ravi Zacharias, Bruxy Cavey or Mark Driscoll who have wielded power in unhealthy ways and of churches who have enabled this kind of behaviour. I appreciate when churches acknowledge the ways the bride of Christ has hurt people and try to operate differently.
I feel the pain that spiritual abuse causes church members. I want my fellow Christians to find God’s healing and am grateful for the efforts of churches that are intentionally sensitive to the trauma people have experienced within church settings.
Space for messiness
I have noticed those labelled as progressive tend to have space for messiness. They acknowledge they don’t have all the answers and sometimes have more questions than answers. They try to be honest about the parts of them that are hurting, confused or broken. Grief is often messy, but the psalms model lament alongside praise. I have observed there is a willingness to publicly express lament in progressive-leaning churches. This gives others permission to acknowledge their own pain, their disappointment with God and their doubts.
To me, this echoes Scripture’s description of biblical characters that clearly paint the heroes of faith as imperfect people. It also frees me to experience God’s grace rather than trying to earn my salvation. It lets me know God loves me even when I sin and am living out of brokenness.
When with progressive believers in Christ, I never feel a need to defend my call to pastoral work. I am accepted as a pastor without raised eyebrows when I share what I do for work.
Warm welcome
Christians who lean toward the progressive side of the religious spectrum are committed to making sure that everyone is invited to the table of God and feels safe enough to respond to that invitation. They pay particular attention to the voices that have been silenced because of their propensity to ask hard questions or because of their gender, race or sexuality.
When with progressive believers in Christ, I never feel a need to defend my call to pastoral work. I am accepted as a pastor without raised eyebrows when I share what I do for work. There is never a need to clarify that I am the pastor, not my husband. My gender is simply not an issue. Paul’s words ring true that in Christ there is not Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female, for we are all one in Christ. I can speak freely with progressive leaning Christians without fear of how my words will reflect on other female pastors or without worrying that what I say and do will become the example for why pastoral roles should be restricted to men.
There is much discussion among American progressive Christians about race and how to undo systemic injustices. The voices of theologians of colour are valued and effort is made to listen to perspectives in theology that represent the reality of a multi-ethnic, multi-racial bride of Christ. Much of the conversation in the U.S. focuses on the experiences and academic work of black pastors and theologians. When I hear these conversations, I sometimes substitute Indigenous for black in the conversation because of our Canadian history. I believe we can learn to listen better to our Indigenous Christian leaders and learn from their rich experiences.
I want my brothers and sisters in Christ who are gay or trans to feel the love of God through the bride of Christ. I also want those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community but who don’t know God yet to feel that they can come like Zacchaeus and find the same welcome Jesus offered to him. I observe that happening to a greater degree among progressive leaning churches as many members of the LGBTQ+ community and their family and friends find a nonjudgmental welcome there.
I have not read a queer theology that convinces me to shift my understanding of God’s intention for marriage being that of one woman and one man, but I value the openness to discuss what it means to have bodies with sexual desires, what it looks like to steward our sexuality in healthy ways and the work that is happening so that the church can be a place where fellow LGBTQ+ siblings in Christ feel loved and cherished.
I want my brothers and sisters in Christ who are gay or trans to feel the love of God through the bride of Christ.
What are we called to?
As we have seen in this series on the appeal of various expressions of Christianity, there is much good in these expressions. As the evangelical church, we agree on the need to hold firm to good teaching like our Reformed brothers and sisters in Christ. We can incorporate liturgical practices in our worship. We can listen carefully to the voice of the Holy Spirit like our charismatic friends. So too, we can listen to the call for compassion voiced by progressive Christians.
A healthy church is already incorporating the very things our progressive siblings in Christ are looking for. We can listen carefully to the Spirit of God as we re-examine Scripture to see if we are being true to Christ’s teachings. We can acknowledge the harm the church has done to its own people and the barriers it has raised for others seeking to enter the church. We can pay attention to the voices of those traditionally silenced by the church and be enriched by the diversity they bring. We can create spaces where our first response to difference and hard questions is not judgment but invitation to conversation—together, we can acknowledge our place as sinners in the hands of a loving God.
