OPINION - Progressive Christianity

Some of us are born into a religious tradition (worldwide, that’s most of us. In the Western ‘developed’ world, it’s not). But many of us have no inherited spiritual reference points. What all humans share, though, is a desire to make sense of the world: who we are in it and who we are in relation to others – our family and our heritage. To flourish, we need a purpose, a sense of belonging, and ways of making meaning. In other words, we are all on a spiritual path – making sense of our loves and losses. The question is, what will we draw on to feed and structure that journey?

To flourish, we need a purpose, a sense of belonging, and ways of making meaning.

Is this a process of finding answers, or asking questions? Do we choose to put our trust in an authority figure, or prefer to find our own way? And if it’s the latter, is it best to go it alone, or to seek out community – to support and be supported by others?

Young adulthood is typically a time when we are feeling those questions most acutely. Who am I? What is my place in the world? What is the point of my life? What difference will I make? Do I matter, and to whom? And perhaps at the root of all these questions is the meta question – is there something bigger to take account of and to connect with? Is such a thing outside of me, or just a part of me; outside the world or integral to it, or perhaps simply the sum of all that is?

We ask these questions anew in every generation and in as many different ways as there are people on this planet. Some will connect with organised religion – of which the Christian church is one (multi-faceted) manifestation amongst very many. Each has its own history and heritage and inner conflicts. Where we land in relation to institutionalised religion, if we land, is largely a matter of chance, circumstance, and luck (or misfortune).

What is termed ‘progressive Christianity’ is an approach to questions of ultimate meaning and value that is found across different forms of church and different denominations – Roman Catholic, Anglican, Pentecostal, non-conformist, Quaker, Unitarian, house church, etc. It encompasses leaders in these denominations, but also those who inhabit the margins and hinterlands – those who can’t (or can no longer) fully trust even the most inclusive of institutions. For some, this is due to experiences of exclusion or rejection. Others find themselves questioning aspects of doctrine or tradition and seek a more open exploration of faith.

Many of those in these faith borderlands have wrestled with theological questions or felt tension around issues of identity, inclusion, or belief.

Many of those in these faith borderlands have wrestled with theological questions or felt tension around issues of identity, inclusion, or belief. Some have encountered challenges in more conservative Christian settings, especially around issues like gender, sexuality, race, disability, or theological interpretation. Yet others have found deep meaning and purpose within more traditional expressions of faith, and continue to shape them from within.

My own organisation, Modern Church (www.modernchurch.org.uk), was formed out of internal discussions across Christian denominations in the late nineteenth century, when churches and Christian organisations split or fell out over developments in the wider world. Churches faced a choice about whether to reject or engage with new and emergent thinking – especially scientific discoveries, and approaches to literary texts. Some took a conservative approach, considering modern science a dangerous threat to religious beliefs. They couldn’t conceive of studying and analysing the Bible like any other book. They felt that to do so was to compromise the Truth (with a capital ‘T’). Others, however, believed that faith and reason could coexist—that engaging with scientific and historical discoveries could deepen, rather than diminish, an understanding of God. This approach was called ‘modern’, or ‘progressive’.

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Change has been, and will always remain, the one constant in our world, so progressive Christianity is also an ever-shifting approach to loving God and being human. Now, in the twenty-first century, I would say it has several important characteristics.

A progressive approach to faith rejects the idea that life is all about following a rigid set of rules that transcends time and history.

It is an approach that values questions above answers. As a progressive Christian I would echo the words of the philosopher Kierkegaard who said in his book, Concluding Unscientific Postscript, ‘An objective uncertainty held fast in an appropriation process of the most passionate inwardness is the truth, the highest truth attainable…’. When it comes to life and death, there are few objective certainties – but we can hold this uncertainty by passionately committing ourselves to inner spiritual growth and a passion for making the world a better place.

In the process of doing this, we realise that our experience, and reflection upon it, is crucial. If we ride roughshod over it, or embrace an ideology that results in self-hatred or shame, or the rejection of others, this is a sure sign of spiritual poison. Knowing ourselves, trusting our bodies and our feelings and those of others, we reflect on where we understand God to be at work in the complexity of our lives.

A progressive approach to faith rejects the idea that life is all about following a rigid set of rules that transcends time and history. It asserts that we are the product of history, and we must embrace the rich tradition of Christianity as a gift, allowing it to inspire and guide rather than constrain. Indeed, we are alert to the fact that human beings have a tendency to exercise power over others in an abusive way, and we develop a critical awareness of how this works, aiming always to challenge such abuse and resist collusion with it.

We can be free to embrace a spiritual quest that is akin to an artistic and creative activity. It may involve deep contemplation, and mystical connection with God or the divine. And we expect no uniformity or conformity in the images we find helpful in thinking of that. Some like to think of the divine as personal – a bit like a parent or a friend. Others prefer to think of God as transcendent and indescribable in words (ineffable). Poetry helps us to talk about God, because it’s a form of language that doesn’t try to ‘pin down’, but prefers to open up possibilities. Music, symbolism, colour, smell and being in nature are other ways people choose to connect with God, however they see God.

A feminist friend of mine once defined church as ‘an unlikely coalition of justice-seeking friends.’

Progressive Christians are often active members of churches, because we think of faith as being communal, and value learning from, and being challenged by, others. We revel in sharing ideas and thoughts, knowing that the more we open ourselves to diverse ideas, the more we will learn about ourselves and God. A feminist friend of mine once defined church as ‘an unlikely coalition of justice-seeking friends.’ It remains my favourite definition because it highlights that being progressive means being justice-focused, prophetic, listening to and speaking out with those on the underside of power.

In our contemporary world, particularly the West, we are becoming ever more isolated from one another, rootless, encouraged to value material things and consumption as our way to self-fulfilment. It is challenging to live with the inequality this is designed to produce, and the climate crisis that is its most tragic side-effect. If we are to resist and survive; to care for one another and find ways to express our solidarity, I believe that we need progressive Christianity more than ever.

Alison Webster is General Secretary of Modern Church. She is a practical theologian who is a founder editor of two international journals, Theology and Sexuality, and Political Theology. She offers spiritual accompaniment and has written widely on issues of identity, radical theology, and social justice.