M. D. Chenu’s Very Progressive Christianity
Column by Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox on March, 9 2023Why is a Chenu Institute and a new book about him such good news for progressive Christians today? Because he was a progressive and courageous theologian throughout his life and was unafraid to break the glass in so many areas of culture and religion including theological education.
The Birth and Death of the First Century Church – Part 2
Column by Dr. Carl Krieg on March, 2 2023We began with a description of human nature and used that to try to understand who Jesus was and how he was able to impact people, an analysis that bypasses much of the traditional theology about who and what he was.
Flipping the “He Gets Us” Script
Column by Rev. Jim Burklo on February, 23 2023The people behind HeGetsUs don’t get him. But that doesn’t prevent us from using their campaign to help folks get who Jesus really was – and making his compassionate personality the welcoming face of our progressive faith communities.
What happens when we are gone?
Column by Rev. Gretta Vosper on February, 16 2023What will happen if we disappear? Not “we” as in Earth’s upright and most capable digit-users, though I’m sure we’ll deal with that over the course of time, but “we” as in progressive thinkers in the church. What will happen if we disappear?
Rising Above the Darkness of These Times
Column by Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Frantz on February, 9 2023I don’t know about you, but in recent times, I can hardly bear to watch the news. It’s simply too depressing. Gun violence continues to spin out of control with scant hope of any sensible resolution in sight.
Over the Hills and Everywhere
Column by Rev. Lauren Van Ham on February, 2 2023“Where are Americans finding meaning in their lives? How are they marking the passing of sacred time? Where are they building pockets of vibrant communities?
Friendship, Companionship, Grief, Love
Column by Kevin G. Thew Forrester, Ph.D. on January, 26 2023I lost a very dear friend the day after Christmas.
I look, out of habit, out of longing, out of love, really, but he is not there. It is as if his singular space – the very soft shape of kindness within my world – has been cut out.
All-Loving – A Better Doctrine
Column by Rev. Roger Wolsey on January, 19 2023“Good orthodoxy leads to good orthopraxy” is a common aphorism wielded among conservative evangelical and fundamentalist Christians. It’s frequently worded in a more aggressive manner: “without proper orthodoxy, there can be no proper Christian discipleship.”
More God in Us, Less Us in God
Column by Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin on January, 12 2023Few progressive Christians believe that God is something we can truly ever fully understand. Yet, in constantly choosing to anthropomorphize God, we provide ourselves with fertile mental ground for believing we are doing just that.
The Kingdom of God Within: A Challenge for Progressive Christians
Column by Rev. Brandan Robertson on January, 5 2023At the heart of the Christian faith is the central command of Jesus to love God by loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. In other words, the precursor to effectively loving God and effectively loving others is to build a healthy rhythm of self-love.
A Conversation with Rachel Laser – Part 2
Column by Rev. David M. Felten on December, 29 2022The following is Part 2 of two columns drawn from an interview with Rachel Laser, President of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State
A Conversation with Rachel Laser, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State – Part 1
Column by Rev. David M. Felten on December, 22 2022The following is Part 1 of two columns drawn from an interview with Rachel Laser, President of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, December 1st, 2022. It has been edited for length and focus.
An Advent Love-Poem to Holy Darkness
Column by Rev. Matthew Syrdal on December, 15 2022Advent is a season especially attuned to the Darkness, and it’s rhythms—not primarily the light. For the Darkness has a strange luminosity all its own, but our eyes must readjust.
World AIDS Day 2022
Column by Rev. Irene Monroe on December, 8 2022African Americans are still disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. And the epidemic is heavily concentrated in urban enclaves like Boston, Detroit, New York, Newark, Washington, D.C., and the Deep South.
Holy Envy
Column by Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers on December, 1 2022For the last six weeks, my congregation in Norman, Oklahoma, has been reading Barbara Brown Taylor’s wonderful book, Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others.
In Praise of Thanks
Column by Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox on November, 24 2022Thanksgiving 2022. There is much to be grateful for; and much to be concerned about.
Losing My Place in the Winner’s Inner Circle
Column by Brian McLaren on November, 17 2022Mainline Protestants were part of America’s most successful form of Christianity until the tide began to turn in the late sixties and early seventies, and now, they are no longer the successful majority.
The Birth and Death of the Church in the First Century – Part 1
Column by Dr. Carl Krieg on November, 10 2022The history of the church in the first century is both well-hidden and well-studied, and no narrative is guaranteed to be true. The period demands our attention because what really happened then is absolutely crucial to our understanding of both Jesus and the subsequent 2000-plus years of those who would follow him.
Time To Take A Stand
Column by Rev. Jim Burklo on November, 3 2022The Big Lie has settled the question of whether or not politics belongs in the pulpits of progressive churches in America. We’ve got no choice but to speak out and take a stand for the Democrats because the Republican Party has devolved into a cabal that is undermining the institutions upon which our religious freedom depends.
Creating Community from the Stuff of Ecclesial Practices?
Column by Rev. Gretta Vosper on October, 27 2022As I write this, 2022 is in its final quarter providing an opportunity to reflect on the tenth anniversary of the worst year of my life. And one of the best. Reviewing our lives is always complicated, isn’t it? Let me share with you.
The Reconciliations of Autumn
Column by Rev. Lauren Van Ham on October, 20 2022In the Northern hemisphere, we are in the season of Fall and harvest. It is also the time when a number of cultures and traditions encourage communion with our benevolent ancestors, saints, and spiritual teachers.
It’s Time for Christianity to Ditch Diet Culture
Column by Rev. Fran Pratt on October, 13 2022I no longer practice in the field of nutrition. The farther I went with it, the more deeply I realized that the field is rife with Diet Culture and toxic beauty standards, as well as ableism and health-shaming.
The Jig Is Up
Column by Rev. Roger Wolsey on October, 6 2022What such people meant by this is that they feared that the era of privilege and power for straight, white, wealthy, capitalist men might soon pass unless it becomes vigorously defended.
President Trump the 2nd Christ?
Column by Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin on September, 29 2022“President Donald J. Trump, The Son of Man – The Christ.” That’s the title of a book that is pictured in a meme making its way around social media. While it might sound like some kind of satirical production, it is not.
Christ Heart: Awakening As Holy Mystery – Part 3
Column by Kevin G. Thew Forrester, Ph.D. on September, 22 2022Living with Holy Mystery is the spiritual schooling of the soul. The method of the schooling is the spiritual practices that teach us how to become embodiments of the Source: meditation; spiritual exploration; breath, body, and movement; and liturgy.