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A New Spiritual Home: Progressive Christianity at the Grass Roots
A new kind of Christianity is emerging at the grass roots. Full of heart-felt expression, artistic creativity, and liberal social values, progressive churches and small Christian communities have established themselves across the denominational spectrum. Reporting on a national research study that undercuts the impression that right-wing Christianity is the only new development on the contemporary American religious landscape, Hal Taussig identifies thousands of progressive churches and para-churches and describes five characteristics of this new movement. He then proceeds to analyze its blind spots, project its future, and suggest how to start a progressive church.
204 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2006
25 people want to read
About the author
Hal Taussig
22 books13 followersA founding member of the Jesus Seminar, HAL TAUSSIG is a pastor, professor of Biblical literature at Union Theological Seminary in New York, and professor of early Christianity at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. He is the author of In the Beginning Was the Meal; The Thunder: Perfect Mind; A New Spiritual Home; Reimagining Life Together in America (with Catherine Nerney); Jesus Before God; Reimagining Christian Origins (with Elizabeth Castelli), and others.
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May 21, 2025
A FINE OVERVIEW AND EXPLANATION OF PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY
Hal Taussig is a Methodist pastor and retired professor from institutions such as Union Theological Seminary (where he taught for 17 years).
He wrote in the Preface to this 2006 book, “This book has been growing into reality for the past five years. It has come mostly from talking to progressive Christians. As I spoke in a variety of places around the country, I became aware of two important realities. First, progressive Christianity has been growing and is not at all the same as the staid, liberal, intellectual churches of the 1950s-1970s. Second, many progressive Christians are completely ignorant of one another, feeling isolated and awash in evangelicalism or secularism. So, after one particularly pathetic orgy of self-pity by intellectualist Christians in the fall of 2003, I resolved to test my hypothesis that progressive Christianity is growing from the grass roots quite steadily. The rather stunning affirmation of my hypothesis is documented in this book.” (Pg. ix)
He adds in the Introduction, “New voices celebrating a lively, open-minded and openhearted Christianity are emerging at the grass roots across America… these new voices are just as interested in spirituality as they are in justice… new groups advocate strongly for the causes of women, gays and lesbians, and the environment. Weary of materialist decadence, these voices proclaim a Christian practice that helps individuals resist the dominant American paradigm. This book is about these new voices and their new movement. It describes, celebrates, and assesses them… These new voices do not make up the majority of Christians. But they are refreshingly confident about a new lease on Christian expression that is strikingly different from both the fundamentalism or the flailing denominations often featured in the American press.” (Pg. 2)
He continues, “This book shows that these new Christian communities have developed a set of implicit commonalities in response to these felt needs… I am calling this emergent movement of Christianity in the United States ‘progressive Christianity’… ‘progressive’ is a term being used increasingly by the people themselves who make up this movement.” (Pg. 3)
He observes that “this new adjustment of Jesus and God talk results in a new kind of affirmation of Jesus’ divinity. In this new optic, Jesus becomes a sign that God is in every human being. That is, Jesus’ divinity symbolizes that every human being is divine. Jesus’ divinity represents God’s presence in all people. This, of course, is not the conventional meaning of Jesus’ divinity, in which his divinity represents his superiority over other religious expressions. Progressive Christians generally reject this conventional Christian meaning.” (Pg. 27)
He says of the most prominent Jesus Seminar members, “Both [John Dominic] Crossan and [Marcus] Borg have shown a substantially greater openness to middle-of-the-road church perspectives concerning the values and limits of historical analysis. So although these two authors are lumped in the same evil category as the Jesus Seminar by Christian conservatives, Borg and Crossan are not quite as divisive within mainstream Christianity as is the Jesus Seminar. Borg, especially, continues to make the case, for instance, that historical analysis of the Bible does not endanger open-minded Christians who recite the Nicene Creed; whereas Robert Funk, the founder of the Jesus Seminar, rejected this possibility. The overall grassroots movement of progressive Christianity discussed in this book exhibits both the Funk and the Borg tendencies.” (Pg. 31)
He notes, “Progressive Christianity’s dramatic progress [in] issues of homophobia almost certainly would not have occurred without the deepening of feminist consciousness within Christians over the past forty years. The pioneering efforts of clergywomen, laywomen, and women religious in the 1960s and 1970s changed the landscape of Christianity… One of the most highly developed values of Christian feminism has been the practice of what is called ‘inclusive language.’… In most Progressive Christian settings God is no longer referred to in male terms.” (Pg. 40-41)
He points out, “Founded in the mid-1990s, the Center for Progressive Christianity [TCPC] is the sole national and cross-denominational organization of this movement.. It has… established an important national network of persons and churches.” (Pg. 101-102)
He acknowledges, “There do seem to be two primary differences in these two characterizations of progressive Christianity…. The first difference is that TCPC does not seem to take into account the actual spiritual and worship renewal found in chapter 1. Indeed TCPC’s eight points do not seem to see the importance of spirituality and worship creativity… Conversely, the second difference has to do with … a number of TCPS’s points [that] have to do with important attitudes it considers necessary… For instance… ‘selfless love’ and ‘renunciation of privilege,’… [or] to be ‘dedicated’ to peace, justice, and creation… To a certain extent then, it could be that TCPC puts more emphasis on these more inner dynamics of intentionality for Progressive Christianity… [than] in this book … it is less possible to know about the inner life of resolving, dedicating, knowing, or having ideals.” (Pg. 104-105)
He admits, “I suggest that the organic growth and integrity of progressive Christianity will make it more visible, but not even close to a majority of Christians. The institutional attachments of mainstream Catholics and Protestants and the reactionary course already deeply ingrained in evangelicalism will hold sway for much of the population. Progressive Christianity’s growth will most likely continue to come from both those who loosen their attachments to the old institutions and those secular Americans who are searching for spirituality, community, and intellectual integrity.” (Pg. 125)
He also confesses, “There is a clear hypocrisy in progressive Christianity’s claim to be inclusive. To a great degree, this new movement has turned a deaf ear to the clear and legitimate claim for inclusion of people of color, poor people, and the working class… this is not because progressive Christians have not been … working hard to include many people who have been excluded. It remains to be seen how much the professed values of progressive Christians relative to racial and economic justice can result in [the] important step of inclusion.” (Pg. 135-136)
He suggests, “The future of progressive Christianity needs to go beyond the current denominations and needs to recognize the way it combines much of the best of current denominations into a new whole. I suggest that for the next generation progressive Christianity needs to pursue what I call a ‘cross-denominational’ future… This strategy … has two major components: (1) implicit cooperation with denominations that includes a strong dose of benign neglect; and (2) proactive and quasi-institutionalized collaboration among progressive Christians across denominational boundaries.” (Pg. 145) Still, “Cross-denominational work cannot be the long-term future for progressive Christianity… The bigger picture needs and must include a significant place for the emergent progressive Christian reality portrayed in this book.” (Pg. 158)
Of other religions, he comments, “Christians [must be] absolutely clear that they are not the ‘better’ religion… To assume that it is better to be known as an 'anonymous Christian' than a straightforward Buddhist still participates in Christian arrogance.” (Pg. 171)
He concludes, “The good news of this book is that Progressive Christianity is far enough along that a whole new range of people can answer ‘Yes’ to this question [‘is this a place that you can depend on to nurture you, and to help you grow?’]… the answer at first… must be a relatively hesitant one. The enthusiasm comes later as they learn that their trust in this new home is merited. For others---mostly those who come from unchurched backgrounds and never knew they deserved a spiritual home---the enthusiasm comes more quickly.” (Pg. 175)
This book will be of great interest to Progressive Christians, or for those who want to learn more about it.
Hal Taussig is a Methodist pastor and retired professor from institutions such as Union Theological Seminary (where he taught for 17 years).
He wrote in the Preface to this 2006 book, “This book has been growing into reality for the past five years. It has come mostly from talking to progressive Christians. As I spoke in a variety of places around the country, I became aware of two important realities. First, progressive Christianity has been growing and is not at all the same as the staid, liberal, intellectual churches of the 1950s-1970s. Second, many progressive Christians are completely ignorant of one another, feeling isolated and awash in evangelicalism or secularism. So, after one particularly pathetic orgy of self-pity by intellectualist Christians in the fall of 2003, I resolved to test my hypothesis that progressive Christianity is growing from the grass roots quite steadily. The rather stunning affirmation of my hypothesis is documented in this book.” (Pg. ix)
He adds in the Introduction, “New voices celebrating a lively, open-minded and openhearted Christianity are emerging at the grass roots across America… these new voices are just as interested in spirituality as they are in justice… new groups advocate strongly for the causes of women, gays and lesbians, and the environment. Weary of materialist decadence, these voices proclaim a Christian practice that helps individuals resist the dominant American paradigm. This book is about these new voices and their new movement. It describes, celebrates, and assesses them… These new voices do not make up the majority of Christians. But they are refreshingly confident about a new lease on Christian expression that is strikingly different from both the fundamentalism or the flailing denominations often featured in the American press.” (Pg. 2)
He continues, “This book shows that these new Christian communities have developed a set of implicit commonalities in response to these felt needs… I am calling this emergent movement of Christianity in the United States ‘progressive Christianity’… ‘progressive’ is a term being used increasingly by the people themselves who make up this movement.” (Pg. 3)
He observes that “this new adjustment of Jesus and God talk results in a new kind of affirmation of Jesus’ divinity. In this new optic, Jesus becomes a sign that God is in every human being. That is, Jesus’ divinity symbolizes that every human being is divine. Jesus’ divinity represents God’s presence in all people. This, of course, is not the conventional meaning of Jesus’ divinity, in which his divinity represents his superiority over other religious expressions. Progressive Christians generally reject this conventional Christian meaning.” (Pg. 27)
He says of the most prominent Jesus Seminar members, “Both [John Dominic] Crossan and [Marcus] Borg have shown a substantially greater openness to middle-of-the-road church perspectives concerning the values and limits of historical analysis. So although these two authors are lumped in the same evil category as the Jesus Seminar by Christian conservatives, Borg and Crossan are not quite as divisive within mainstream Christianity as is the Jesus Seminar. Borg, especially, continues to make the case, for instance, that historical analysis of the Bible does not endanger open-minded Christians who recite the Nicene Creed; whereas Robert Funk, the founder of the Jesus Seminar, rejected this possibility. The overall grassroots movement of progressive Christianity discussed in this book exhibits both the Funk and the Borg tendencies.” (Pg. 31)
He notes, “Progressive Christianity’s dramatic progress [in] issues of homophobia almost certainly would not have occurred without the deepening of feminist consciousness within Christians over the past forty years. The pioneering efforts of clergywomen, laywomen, and women religious in the 1960s and 1970s changed the landscape of Christianity… One of the most highly developed values of Christian feminism has been the practice of what is called ‘inclusive language.’… In most Progressive Christian settings God is no longer referred to in male terms.” (Pg. 40-41)
He points out, “Founded in the mid-1990s, the Center for Progressive Christianity [TCPC] is the sole national and cross-denominational organization of this movement.. It has… established an important national network of persons and churches.” (Pg. 101-102)
He acknowledges, “There do seem to be two primary differences in these two characterizations of progressive Christianity…. The first difference is that TCPC does not seem to take into account the actual spiritual and worship renewal found in chapter 1. Indeed TCPC’s eight points do not seem to see the importance of spirituality and worship creativity… Conversely, the second difference has to do with … a number of TCPS’s points [that] have to do with important attitudes it considers necessary… For instance… ‘selfless love’ and ‘renunciation of privilege,’… [or] to be ‘dedicated’ to peace, justice, and creation… To a certain extent then, it could be that TCPC puts more emphasis on these more inner dynamics of intentionality for Progressive Christianity… [than] in this book … it is less possible to know about the inner life of resolving, dedicating, knowing, or having ideals.” (Pg. 104-105)
He admits, “I suggest that the organic growth and integrity of progressive Christianity will make it more visible, but not even close to a majority of Christians. The institutional attachments of mainstream Catholics and Protestants and the reactionary course already deeply ingrained in evangelicalism will hold sway for much of the population. Progressive Christianity’s growth will most likely continue to come from both those who loosen their attachments to the old institutions and those secular Americans who are searching for spirituality, community, and intellectual integrity.” (Pg. 125)
He also confesses, “There is a clear hypocrisy in progressive Christianity’s claim to be inclusive. To a great degree, this new movement has turned a deaf ear to the clear and legitimate claim for inclusion of people of color, poor people, and the working class… this is not because progressive Christians have not been … working hard to include many people who have been excluded. It remains to be seen how much the professed values of progressive Christians relative to racial and economic justice can result in [the] important step of inclusion.” (Pg. 135-136)
He suggests, “The future of progressive Christianity needs to go beyond the current denominations and needs to recognize the way it combines much of the best of current denominations into a new whole. I suggest that for the next generation progressive Christianity needs to pursue what I call a ‘cross-denominational’ future… This strategy … has two major components: (1) implicit cooperation with denominations that includes a strong dose of benign neglect; and (2) proactive and quasi-institutionalized collaboration among progressive Christians across denominational boundaries.” (Pg. 145) Still, “Cross-denominational work cannot be the long-term future for progressive Christianity… The bigger picture needs and must include a significant place for the emergent progressive Christian reality portrayed in this book.” (Pg. 158)
Of other religions, he comments, “Christians [must be] absolutely clear that they are not the ‘better’ religion… To assume that it is better to be known as an 'anonymous Christian' than a straightforward Buddhist still participates in Christian arrogance.” (Pg. 171)
He concludes, “The good news of this book is that Progressive Christianity is far enough along that a whole new range of people can answer ‘Yes’ to this question [‘is this a place that you can depend on to nurture you, and to help you grow?’]… the answer at first… must be a relatively hesitant one. The enthusiasm comes later as they learn that their trust in this new home is merited. For others---mostly those who come from unchurched backgrounds and never knew they deserved a spiritual home---the enthusiasm comes more quickly.” (Pg. 175)
This book will be of great interest to Progressive Christians, or for those who want to learn more about it.
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