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, Point 7.
This is the last point of the 8 Points of Progressive Christianity. I think it’s safe to say that there were a few more ‘controversial’ points in the middle, but these last few really aren’t that provocative. They are true, but, not something that is going to cause a wide array of controversy. Here, the TCPC says acknowledges that being followers of Christ is something that is not easy. In fact, for many followers, it has been dangerous, costly, and in the end, deadly.
Being a Christian requires selfless love, and a conscientious resistance to evil – at all times. Evil within ourselves, evil within our neighbor, and evil within society. One of the downside of our Christian culture’s individualism, is a strict focus on ‘personal sin.’ Christianity for so many people today means a ‘personal’ relationship with your ‘personal’ Jesus so one can take of their ‘personal’ sin and get themselves to heaven. But there is a real lack of talking about the communal sin, the systemic sin, the social sin that is so incredibly prevalent in our society. Many people feel just fine with themselves as long as they have taken care of their own, personal sin – while social/systemic sin is running rampant in society. A progressive Christianity cares to be consciously resistant to evil within oneself, but also is equally aware of the evil that is present in society.
And lastly, progressive Christianity is a renunciation of privilege. Progressive Christianity (like many other versions of Christianity have more and more come into agreement about) is not about prosperity – this is not a prosperity gospel. The gospel is not a gospel of privilege – God is the God of the oppressed. God is a liberator God, and if anything, God has come to liberate us from our privileged status as Americans, as Middle Class citizens of the most wealthy nation in the world. God has a vision for our role in the world…in our role in bringing about the kingdom of God to those who are not privileged, and it is the hope of a progressive Christianity that followers of Christ will continue to strive against privilege, in all its forms.
Thus ends a bit of a look into The Center for Progressive Christianity’s 8 main points.