Progressive Christianity is not Liberal Christianity

Many people confuse Progressive Christianity with liberal Christianity. They’re not the same thing. Progressive Christianity is halfway between conservative Christianity and liberal Christianity.

Liberal Christianity

Liberal Christianity is committed to changing things according to a liberal perspective. Conservative Christianity is very resistant to changing anything, and wants to keep things the same.

Progressive Christianity

Progressive Christianity is the middle way that follows the evidence where it leads. It conserves what needs to be conserved, and changes what needs to be changed.

Think of progressive Christianity as the middle way, between ultraconservative and ultra-liberal. Truth is not conservative or liberal, but consists in the claims that match actual reality.

Unity in Essentials

The guiding principle of progressive Christianity is, to paraphrase St. Augustine, in essentials let there be unity, in non-essentials let there be liberty, but in all things let there be love. The essentials are spelled out in the Nicene Creed.

Progressive Christianity

Lots of different people claim the same label. I can only tell you what I mean by the term. I do not have the authority or the desire to police the term. People can call themselves whatever they want.

Published by

Jay Forrest

Dr. Jay N. Forrest is an Ordained Interfaith Minister and Certified Meditation Teacher who guides others on the Mystic Way through contemplative teaching and interspiritual insight.Since becoming a Christian in 1983 and earning his Doctorate in Ministry, Jay has served within a rich range of Christian traditions—including Pentecostal, Charismatic, Baptist, Methodist, and Liberal Catholic churches—and provided compassionate care as a Hospice Chaplain.His journey has also led him through catechism studies with the Orthodox Church in America, minor orders in the Liberal Catholic Church, and over two decades of Buddhist study and practice. His path is one of depth, integration, and a lifelong dedication to the transformative power of spiritual practice.



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