A Brief Primer on Progressive Christianity
A minister sheds light on her overshadowed Christian community
A church member met with me recently to discuss her worries about her teenage son leaving behind his Christian faith. “He’s turning more towards science,” she said, with a worried look of heartfelt concern on her face. I responded with a smile, saying, “That’s wonderful that he’s turning to science. We Christians don’t have to choose one over the other.”
Not coincidentally, this is a newer member of our congregation. Prior to this, she had attended a more theologically conservative church, where I’m guessing she learned that being a Christian means abandoning scientific knowledge, particularly when it appears to call into question biblical stories such as the literal reading of the seven day creation story, Moses parting the Red Sea, and Jesus raising the dead — just to name a few. I began to share with her that there is a stream of Christianity (quite a large stream actually, more like a river) that not only does not disregard science but brings its most up-to-date findings and questions to bear on our faith.
As a self-identified progressive Christian, I have encountered many people like this member of my own church, who hold on to the mistaken notion that being Christian also means taking up positions against…
