In the very recent past, the term "progressive Christian" has come to be conflated with "emergent Christian" and "post-evangelical Christian". And I'm not saying that you can't be one of those things and also be a progressive Christian. This is a big tent movement, and you can.
But I am saying that it's not right to co-opt a term that has been used for several generations to define a theological movement for your own benefit. And it's especially not right to do it when you are not familiar with, or not willing to honor, the values that progressive Christianity has been trying to model for the larger church for years.
My elders in the progressive Christian movement, some of whom are now dead and cannot speak for themselves, deserve more than to have their legacies misrepresented by those who never knew them. And those of us who came of age in the progressive movement over the last few decades are now being called on to bear witness to the history and values of this tradition, and to help to articulate a vision for the future for the movement.
So, I am a progressive Christian. But I'm also a concerned one, because late-comers to the movement have been transforming it into something that most former progressive Christians wouldn't recognize. And so I want to say a little about what I understand that term to mean, starting with a few values I've learned along the way. Here is what I think the progressive church is called to be:
- Transparent
The progressive church has taught me again and again that Jesus was right when he said "the truth shall set you free". It has also taught me that "sunlight is the best disinfectant". One of the Christian men I respect most has a habit of telling organizations with which he works that "I will not be your institution's secret keeper". They hire him anyway, and they're better for it.
- Accountable
We don't just answer to ourselves (or kid ourselves and others by saying "I answer to God"). We need accountability from our peers. Denominations get a bad rap with some, but a healthy denomination is one of the best ways of making sure that a Christian leader will be held accountable to a high standard. It's when a clergy person or other leader becomes a long ranger that the trouble happens.
- Prophetic
Wayne Gretzky famously said, "I skate to where the puck is going; not to where it has been." For progressive Christians that means that we have to be future focused, and innovative. For instance, the progressive church started talking about LGBT rights in the early 1970s. By contrast, some well-known leaders who are now claiming the progressive labels have just come forward as allies in the last several years. That's not being prophetic. That's being popular.
- Repentant
We will make mistakes. We will fail people who could have used our voices. But when that happens, we need to be the first to stand up and apologize. As a former Presbyterian pastor, I often saw people who sat in positions of power never speak as allies. In the past few years many have now come out as allies, which is great. But sometimes I just want a little acknowledgement that they regret not having done so earlier. Likewise, I know there are probably many things I am not doing now that I should be. When I realize what they are, I hope I have the character to confess, apologize, and make amends.
- Humble
True humility is not about putting yourself down; it's about raising others up. And what I valued most about the progressive leaders in the generations before mine was their humility. They admitted there were things they did not know. They listened to those who were marginalized in some way. And they stepped aside and gave up the mic when they didn't know from firsthand experience what they were talking about. (And they never drew attention to themselves when they did it.)
- Witness-oriented
The other thing I learned from progressive Christian leaders over the past 20 years is that they were never, ever, interested in celebrity. In fact, they were quick to shy away from the lime-light. They didn't mind teaching, or speaking, but only if it helped others in their Christian journey. Karl Barth kept a picture of John the Baptist above his desk. In that picture John was pointing towards Christ. For Barth it was a reminder that the task of every Christian was not to gain followers for one's self, but instead to use one's life in order to witness to, and glorify, Christ.
- Bold
The progressive Christians I have know are bold people. That's different than being brash or provocative. Instead, being bold is about being willing to risk one's status or power for what one believes is right. In the 1990s and early 2000s I watched people risk their pulpits and ordinations to stand up for people like me. Some of these same people had done the same thing a 35 years before that when they stood up against segregation. They weren't fearless; they were scared to death. But they did it anyway. They are some of bravest people I have ever met, and few in my generation can hold a candle to them.
- Non-idolatrous
The progressive Christians who taught me were also well-trained Reformed theologians. They lectured constantly about the importance of confronting idols. And they practiced what they preached. They refused to worship anything other than Christ. They would not worship at the altar of money. They refused to collude with empire, as Walter Wink taught us, choosing instead to confront it. They would not profit on the backs of others, particularly those who have been in any way marginalized. They did not seek power or status or comfort. They sought only God's will for God's people.
- Hopeful
When Rev. John Robinson sent the Pilgrims, ancestors of today's progressive Reformed Christians, off across the ocean he said God had "more truth and light yet to break forth out of (God's) holy Word". It was a message of hope. And hope is central to the message of progressive Christianity. Every piece of writing, every sermon, every speech must point to the fact that our hope comes not from our own words, but from the one who is constantly working in this world to create all things anew. And living into that hope means that we get to make the choice to either participate in that work joyfully, or get out of the way.
- Community-focused
Progressive Christians value the life and stories of the individual, but we also highly value the community. Our interdependence on one another is what makes us stronger, not weaker. And so we need the voices of many, and not just a few. And so, because progressive Christianity is bigger than any one of us, this needs to be a group discussion. What values would you add? I'd love for you to tell us all about them below.