Dear RLP,
I've often wondered, since you're an unusual
sort of Baptist, what your thoughts are on "progressive" (for lack of a better
word) Christianity. I've just finished The Pagan Christ by Tom Harpur and I
have been reading a lot of books by John Spong, Marcus Borg and the like. I
think I would have left the church forever if not for the insights of some of
the authors.
All the best,
Tina
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Dear Tina,
Much of my life has been spent trying to find a
balance between progressive, or liberal Christian ideas and the conservative,
evangelical Christianity of my youth. That’s probably why I’m still a Baptist.
The Baptist community is broad and diverse.
I think The Church needs the full spectrum of
her theology. Look, when it comes to God, our language isn’t going to cut it
anyway. How descriptive can we be of a being that is utterly beyond our
comprehension? The language of conservative Christianity speaks to many people.
I appreciate that. Hell, I love it. It brings me to tears.
On the other hand, liberal or progressive
Christianity speaks to others, myself included. There was a time when liberal
theology came to my rescue. It kept me in the game, you might say, while I
worked things out for myself. It also made me intellectually proud, and that is
a dangerous thing. Pride, in all of its many forms, is truly a spiritual killer.
Were we to be given a glimpse of the true
nature of God, I wonder if our theological differences would be vaporized in
that blinding moment of enlightenment. We might come away from that experience
laughing at words like liberal, conservative, doctrine, and theology.
But whether you use conservative or liberal
theological language, the central issue of our faith – as I see it – is finding
a passion for the life and teachings of Christ and giving yourself to Him.
Becoming a disciple, as we say, and by that I mean trying to live a Christ-like
life. The details of your theology are far less important than that commitment.
Trying to live as Jesus lived is a humbling
experience. It tends to shatter the pride of the intellectual and subdue the
dogmatism of the provincial. Christian living drives us to a place in the middle
that we might call Grace.
Theology is nothing more than language. And as
nice as language is, it cannot stand up to the beauty of a life
given in the service of God and humanity.
Peace,
rlp
