Theology Thursday: Progressive Christianity is Neither Christian Nor Progressive

If you’ve lived in the city any time at all, you probably know someone who attends a “progressive church,” or maybe even someone who is a “progressive Christian.”

What comes to mind when you hear the term “progressive” paired with “Christianity?” You may think of an organization that is more accepting when it comes to social issues or a church that focuses more on social action. These might be outward manifestations, but they are the products of deeper theological differences because the heart of progressive Christianity is a rejection of historic Christianity.

Christianity can only be historic. Christian beliefs are not based on mystical illusions or the dreams of a guru—they are based on facts of history, facts confirmed by multiple witnesses and the overwhelming evidence of the Scriptures themselves, which are historical books. The apostles and the earliest Christians, including the Church Fathers, affirmed that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, that he was God, that he died in our place for our sins, and that he rose from the dead. They affirmed that all this was according to the Scriptures. To be a Christian is to follow Jesus, Jesus as he is revealed in the Scriptures, to follow his commands, and to accept the Scriptures as the revealed Word of God.

Progressive Christianity is not “Christian” because it borrows ideas from Christianity but remakes them to fit with the current beliefs of the day. As Augustine said,

“If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.”

Progressive Christianity isn’t progressive because its theological beliefs are not new. Heresies have been around since the time of the New Testament. False teachers and entire sects have denied the literal death and resurrection of Jesus and especially his atonement for our sins on the cross. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there was a strong movement within the church to replace the Great Commission with a utopian and progressive society on earth. The inerrancy of Scriptures is constantly under attack.

The Bible tells us to be on high alert for false teachers and false teachings. They will always be around, and part of our mission as a church is to guard the treasure of the gospel. This doesn’t mean that we spend our time posting on the internet about every other church and pointing fingers. Heresies often find an acceptance in the church because they are, in fact, exploiting real weaknesses in the existing church. Though we must fight heresies, we need to spend more time examining ourselves and seeing if we are practicing what we preach.

Progressive Christianity is appealing. It flatters its adherents by making them feeling loving and inclusive and righteous due to their correct stands on current issues. But at the end of the day, progressive Christianity is bankrupt. By denying the basis of our hope, it offers nothing of the sovereignty and providence of God in every area of our lives, it erodes our hope in the truth of the Scriptures, and it gives us no definitive solution to the problem of our sin.

Historic Christianity will stand the test of time. It will be the solid rock that you need and the only thing you can offer the world as something to give your entire life for and stake your eternal life on. The Scriptures are more reliable than the current consensus, and we should never be embarrassed about anything the Bible says.

Be on your guard against the heresy of progressive Christianity. Learn how to spot the signs. Deepen your faith in the Word. Don’t be snarky, and don’t be the heresy police. Disciple people in the truth. Be kind and courageous. Stand firm on the truth.