I was recently asked why I regularly “go after” Christian progressive-liberalism. I was asked specifically what my “motivation” is.
So I’m going to list my 11 reasons I criticize progressive-liberal Christianity, ending with my one motivation (with the caveat that this is mostly a white Christian conversation).
Why do I criticize progressive-liberalism?
Am I concerned about progressive-liberals emphasizing the love of God? No. It is how this love morphs in a dull morality of tolerance shorn of metaphysical commitments (about reality).
Is it because they want just talk about Jesus? No. It is because this Jesus who reveals God’s love is separated from the his own uniquely divine nature that as the God of love.
Is it because they want a fuller, bigger gospel? No. It is because this bigger gospels often sounds less like a grace that transforms and more like self-acceptance attached to a social transformation to-do list.
Is it because they want to end racism, sexism, and poverty? No. Of course not. It is how these are pursued allow typical political paths disconnected from the ways of Jesus.
Ok.
So that was just a warm up.
Here is my list of 11 reasons I’m concerned—even against—progressive-liberal Christianity (and, I guess I need to say, these are particular to me and my experience—and the most theological reasons will come out when I review Roger Olson’s Against Liberal Theology).
The One Long Sentence
But first, like my critique of evangelical-fundamentalism, here is my one long sentence.
I’m concerned—even against—progressive-liberal Christianity because it often valorizes asking questions even while (covertly or overtly) offering certain definitive answers (usually about morality, racism, and sexuality and gender which are non-negotiable), often villainies church history while minimizing it’s global contributions, it celebrates non-majority Christians (seemingly in America and especially sexual minorities) while often ignoring the moral and theological commitments of the global church, focuses on Jesus without coherently connecting him to the Old Testament, the rest of the New Testament, or the early church, its often uncritical celebration of the Democratic party and its cultural agenda, and the politicizing discipleship in a way that is disconnected from personal holiness and piety.
But let me break this down into my specific reasons and motivation.
(If you want a positive vision of a way forward, please check out my 5 Shifts for Reconstructing Faith: Renewing a Jesus-Centered Christianity.)
11 Reasons for Going After Christian Progressive-Liberalism
1) I find the smug condescension and “air of superiority” of many progressive-liberals more annoying (and more hypocritical coming from those claiming to be tolerant) than the outright hostility I get from most conservative-fundamentalists.
The repetition of fundamentalist behaviors, postures, and commitments by progressive-liberalism (reasons 2-6).
2) Anti-authoritarian and anti-tradition (from the fundamentalist anti-Catholicism to being anti-white-evangelical in theology/practice)
3) The idea that they (the progressive-liberals) are really thinking for themselves and that others are hopelessly/helplessly controlled (fundamentalists claim the same high ground of independent thought)
4) The certainty that they have the simple and plain truth that everyone could know if they just tried (from the fundamentalist “the Bible says so” to “love says so”)
5) Doctrine or tradition don’t really matter (again, from the fundamentalist “the Bible clearly says” to “love clearly allows”).
6) Same either/or thinking—even though progressive-liberals think they are beyond this (from the fundamentalist fear that everything is a globalist, anti-Christ conspiracy to the idea that white Christian racist nationalism explains most things and if you disagree then its because you are a white, racist Christin nationalist…or for another example, from the evangelical-fundamentalist “Penal Substitutionary Atonement is the ONLY gospel” to “If you aren’t LGBTQI+ inclusive then you believe in a hateful god.”)
Not only the repetition of fundamentalism, but also the reaction to fundamentalism I find problematic as it continues the problems of modernity (reasons 7-11). Or course, this just continues the original antagonism of the modernist-fundamentalist reactions of the early 20th century–so things are just repeating themselves.
The reaction against fundamentalist by progressive-liberalism (reasons 7-11).
7) Shifting from head to heart (as the saying goes). Or from ideas and doctrine to emotions and practice.
8) From individual holiness to social justice.
9) From concern about heaven to concern about earth (usually accomplished through adoption of universal salvation).
10) From biblical authority to therapeutic authority (in other words, from an authority beyond the “self” to the “self” as authority).
11) From Absolute Truth to “Truth” is Abuse (from those in power).
Unfortunately, this reactive stance or movement is a short term win that lacks the integration that will lead to long term transformation.
So those are my reasons (of the top of my head, and personal to me).
But what is my one motivation?
My motivation, as a pastor and a professor, has always been something like, “Be faithful!” — be faithful to God in this changing and trying culture transition from modernity to who-knows-what.
I’ve been saying “Be faithful” to those who are more conservative, who fail to be faithful to the way of Jesus in regard to love (not just love of the unborn, but love of those born in poverty, and love of those born with a different hue of skin, etc—the whole person throughout their entire lives).
And I’ve been saying “Be faithful” to those who are more progressive or liberal, who fail to be faithful to the truth of Jesus in regard to his unique and exclusive claim to discipleship based on his own divine status as God, and all that this reality entails—a reality that spilling over into how we think about the Bible, the nature of salvation, the purpose of sexuality, the place of other religions, and the nature of love itself.
Of course more could be said, and nuanced more fully, so much that would fill a whole book (and I touch of 5 more full here regarding the Bible, Faith, Science, Cross, and Mission).
But I will now end.
Like I said before, if you want a positive vision of a way forward, please check out my 5 Shifts for Reconstructing Faith: Renewing a Jesus-Centered Christianity.
Disclaimer:
Just to be clear, I’m against, I’m concerned about, I’m grieved by Progressive-Liberal Christianity.
But I’m hopeful for and love progressive-liberal Christians—i.e. the particular people who may or may not be represented by some or all of the above.
My characterization of Christian Progressive-Liberalism (as a movement and a theological style) is a general type gathered through personal experience, shared stories, general data and reading.