This is in continuation to a series that I began last spring. Here are links to the rest of the posts: Point 1, Point 2, Point 3, Point 4, Point 5, Point 6.
By calling ourselves progressive, we mean that we are Christians who form ourselves into communities dedicated to equipping one another for the work we feel called to do: striving for peace and justice among all people, protecting and restoring the integrity of all God’s creation, and bringing hope to those Jesus called the least of his sisters and brothers…
I don’t know that the last few points of the 8 Points of The Center for Progressive Christianity’s list will cause as much controversy as others did, but I think they are equally important. There are a few things from this that I would like to briefly highlight:
- “Communities”: The emphasis here is not on an individualized spirituality, a primary focus on the individual – rather, the emphasis is on creating communities – letting communities be the place where Christians and others come together to do the “work we feel called to do.”
- “Peace and justice among all people”: “All people” is the key phrase there. For many Christians, they would like peace and justice for one select group of people. They would like human & civil rights for one people group, but they are okay if those same rights are denied to another group. Progressive Christians realize that these rights of peace and justice belong to all.
- “Protecting/restoring God’s creation”: There is an obvious renewal of a focus on the stewardship of God’s creation – a focus that is becoming more and more prevalent throughout a variety of strands of Christianity (including evangelicalism).
- “Hope”: There is a focus on bringing hope – bringing a hope for all people, especially for those who are broken-down and oppressed: “the least of these.” I think this is balanced with a hope for the HERE and the NOW as well. If hope is strictly an eschatological hope, we have missed the idea of the kingdom of God in the here and the now – God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.