Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity

by David M. Felten, Jeff Procter-Murphy

Ministers David Felten and Jeff Procter-Murphy, along with an all-star cast of Bible scholars and top church teachers, provide a primer to a church movement that encourages every Christian to “live the questions” instead of “forcing the answers.” Based on the bestselling DVD course of the same name, Living the The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity includes commentary from such bestselling authors as Diana Butler Bass, John Shelby Spong, Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossan, Brian McLaren, and others. Tackling issues of faith and controversial subjects such as the church’s position on homosexuality, Living the Questions is the most comprehensive, indeed the only survey of progressive Christianity in existence today.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Theology, Christianity, Spirituality, Christian, Faith

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 7, 2012

About the author

A native of Phoenix, David received a music education degree from Arizona State University before attending Boston University School of Theology where he earned his MDiv in Biblical Studies and History. Before completing Chaplaincy training at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, David spent a year studying as a Rotary Graduate Scholar at Perth Theological Hall of Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. There he received an Honours degree and a taste for Promite.

David has served as Pastor at Epworth United Methodist in West Phoenix, Via de Cristo in North Scottsdale, and The Fountains in Fountain Hills.

In an effort to offer educational materials that were not being produced by other publishers, David and fellow United Methodist pastor, Jeff Procter-Murphy, created the Living the Questions curriculum for Progressive Christians.

Although David is a full-time pastor, he’s never strayed far from his roots as a musician, playing in a wide variety of worship and concert settings and recording on a number of CDs.

In the wider community, David is one of the founding directors of Catalyst Arizona, formerly the Arizona Foundation for Contemporary Theology, and is one of the founders of No Longer Silent: Clergy for Justice, a group advocating for the full inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people both in the church and in the community. David is a ten-year veteran of the Dean’s Advisory Board of Boston University’s School of Theology and served on the board of the Phoenix Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.

Reviews

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember sitting, once, in the audience at a Christian conference where author, Philip Yancey, described how at time he feels like the most liberal person in the room and at other times, the most conservative. This captures in part my feeling while reading Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity. In this book, authors David Felten and Jeff Procter-Murphy take us through some of the distinctives of the ‘progressive-Christian’ perspective. As a avid (okay, occasional) reader of progressive Christian bloggers, I figured I would resonate with this book. Unfortunately for me, I felt out of step with much of what this book argues for (or against).

There are three parts to this book. They are: Journey, Reconciliation, and Transformation. These are three really great words which describe the Christian spirituality. However I have serious qualms with where Felten and Procter-Murphy go with the first and frustration with parts of their use of the second (I more-or-less like their use of word number three).

Felten and Procter-Murphy invite us on a journey. This journey involves asking good questions, taking the Bible seriously (just not too-literally!), thinking theologically, and realizing that a couple of creation accounts in Genesis (Genesis 1 and 2) and how little we know about the historical Jesus makes room for us to believe whatever we want (i.e. alternative pictures of cosmology and Jesus’ role). In part two, they focus on how Christ brings reconciliation between God and humanity, between all peoples and creation. Here I found myself challenged by Felten and Procter-Murphy’s call to take relationships and creation-care seriously as a significant part of Christian spirituality. Alas, their commitment to debunking biblical literalism lost me when they focused on the silliness of objective aspects of the atonement and the bodily reality of the resurrection. For me, part three was the most fruitful. In discussing transformation, they talk about the importance of social justice, incarnational spirituality, prayer, compassion and creativity in the spiritual life.

I found myself at loggerheads with much of Felten and Procter-Murphy’s material. First I was alienated by their source material. I have read some John Shelby Spong, Marcus Borg, and John Dominic Crossan. I respect some of the scholarship (more Borg and Crossan than Spong) but find many of these conclusions overdrawn. Felten and Procter-Murphy quote these three (and others) as justification for liberal, progressive views but offer no argument as to why as a reader I need to take their words seriously. A lot of what this book does is appeal to so-called experts, make dogmatic (or anti-dogmatic?) claims and then expect you to simply buy in and feel freed up by it.I don’t. There are so many assertions in this book that are made and assumed without any argument at all. Why should I question the reality of the bodily resurrection? Why should I simply see it as a metaphor? I am puzzled by this and why they felt the need to debunk every historical Christian claim as a relic of an unhealthy literalism. Christianity is a historically rooted faith and God is God. I can see questioning some narrow fundamentalist interpretations but I think this book goes too far in the other direction.

However the call to justice and incarnating the kingdom now seems appropriate. I have my evangelical roots and find many of Felten and Procter-Murphy’s ‘answers’ too liberal and loosey-goosey for my tastes. Yet I agree that questions are appropriate and necessary for anyone seeking to deepen their faith. I do not fault the questions, I just don’t think this book does the work to provide secure answers. There is too much conjecture and assertion and not enough real exploration. I give this book three stars: ★★★.

Notice of material connection: I received this book through the Speakeasy blog review program in exchange for my honest review.

[Mollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book for taking a close look at the things Christianity has done wrong, stripping them down, and then adding hope with a new perspective. I have long resonated with a progressive take on Christianity, and recently took some further steps in stripping down my faith for closer examination. I’ve come out on the other side convicted, and love what this book has to say about living faith rather than belief. I’m glad to see some solid theology that can embrace science and the cultural and sociological influence on interpretations of Christianity and the Bible, and that ultimately dwells in the mystery.

[Rebecca E Mentzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good to know having questions is o.k. and embracing the mystery of my faith in new ways feels healthy. The importance of my respect and love for Jesus is because he lived a compassionate life and accepted all kinds of people who were shunned by rule-followers. Jesus knew the Jewish laws and scriptures but more than anyone else, Jesus showed us how to live not what to believe. I loved discussing this book with my book group.

[Leroy Seat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, and there is much good material in it. There are also some problems, one being that many long direct quotes are undocumented. While there are endnotes for many sources, for some reason many others have no notes.

Then there is the problem of presenting a "progressive" view by sometimes caricaturing more conservative views. There was also a problem of questionable, unsupported statements--such as, "God cannot be all of anything?" (p. 93).

Still there is a lot of helpful content: following are some of the statements I likes best and/or got the most good out of:

"Perhaps real ‘faith’ involves seeing ambiguity not as an enemy, but as a vital part of the journey” (p. 7)

“Inspired by insights that are at once fresh and ancient progressive Christians can claim a distinctive voice in the twenty-first century by being in solidarity with the poor, countering the idolatry of wealth, practicing nonviolence, and by seeking justice and inclusivity in a culture dominated by suspicion and fear” (p. 70).

“If you haven’t been made uncomfortable by the teachings of Jesus, you probably haven’t understood them” (p. 85). [I thought this was one of their best statements.]

“At its core, biblical faith has a sense of expectation called hope. . . . Far from being hateful or unpatriotic, today’s prophets engage in social criticism out of that same hope, a conviction that ‘doing justice’ is essential to expressing both a vital faith and building a world at peace” (p. 174).

“When mystery is embraced, freedom is embraced. Openness is embraced. The journey is embraced. Far from being cast adrift, those who embrace mystery are set on a lifelong path of discovery, growth, and gratitude for the wonder of it all” (p. 228).

[Paul Clark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Intellectually embarrassing. In my denomination, as Ministers, we have ethics for how we educate. "In particular, Ministers shall: (b) faithfully represent the meanings of biblical passages; (c) accurately represent the degree to which experts in a discipline support their views; (d) accurately represent opposing views;" Having read chunks of this book I find it difficult to stomach. Not because I have a problem with people not believing in the virgin birth, miracles or the resurrection - because it breaks the ethics around teaching people b-c & d! It is intellectually and theologically embarrassing. The authors consistently misrepresent the common or orthodox Christian position [which orthodox theologians say Jesus was resuscitated?] They make it sound like the vast majority of scholars/everyone agrees with them [or at least any thinking person] when anyone with any theological knowledge knows this isn't true.
We teach our RI teachers to 'ground' and 'own' their statements rather than claiming everyone agrees with their opinions or beliefs. The authors don't even do that. Own that you find it difficult to believe in miracles, rather than making sweeping generalisations that 'no-one thinks like that anymore.'
What is particularly disappointing is that in a book where they claim to be open to opinion, diversity, mystery, openness, they are the exact opposite. They make pronouncements based on spurious evidence, logic and reasoning, and belittle anyone who would dare think differently! They build straw men, set them alight, toasting marshmallows as they delight in their clever little logic.
It is very sad and disappointing. Is their duplicity a result of ignorance or wilful? For me, they set the progressive movement back another generation, and lose more credibility. Any good points that are made, can be made from classical christianity without the sass towards orthodoxy!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read on Christian principles and precepts. It embodies the view that faith can be ambiguous, there are not set answers to specific questions, and that asking questions should be at the heart of a faith journey. This is a bible for progressive Christians and is related to a film series we watched at church.

[Carol Brusegar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living the Questions is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in expanding their view of Christianity and wanting to live a more dynamic, creative Christian life in the 21st century. The book is based on "Living the Questions 2.0: An Introduction to Progressive Christianity," a DVD and internet-based program created by David M. Felten and Jeff Procter-Murphy.

There are 3 sections of the book: Journey, Reconciliation, and Transformation which cover a huge expanse of topics. It is a call to "A Kingdom Without Walls" - a chapter which includes embracing the stranger, let love be dangerous, radical hospitality and more.

One of my favorite quotations from the book is: "Christianity is ....about reveling in the beauty of creation, about taking part in the wonderment of it all by living, loving and being. It's about embracing the pain and suffering of the world and transforming it into new life. It's about harnessing the creative Spirit that is so much a part of defining what it means to be human and using that creativity to, as Aquinas said, 'preserve things in the good.'"

[Michael O'Leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read for those wishing to explore and examine a progressive view of Christianity.
From the publisher:
Ministers David Felten and Jeff Procter-Murphy, along with an all-star cast of Bible scholars and top church teachers, provide a primer to a church movement that encourages every Christian to “live the questions” instead of “forcing the answers.” Based on the bestselling DVD course of the same name, Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity includes commentary from such bestselling authors as Diana Butler Bass, John Shelby Spong, Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossan, Brian McLaren, and others. Tackling issues of faith and controversial subjects such as the church’s position on homosexuality, Living the Questions is the most comprehensive, indeed the only survey of progressive Christianity in existence today

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing...I will buy it

[Kathryn Bashaar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had read this book ten years ago. My husband and I had begun to feel out of synch with the increasingly conservative positions of the church that we’d belonged to for over twenty years. I still felt like a Christian, but I couldn’t take the Bible literally, and a lot of traditional Christian theology had ceased to make sense to me.

I stuck with our familiar church, where we’d raised our children and where we still had good friends. But I started writing a lot in my journal about my doubts and theological questions. Here and there, I read liberal theologians like Richard Rohr and Henri Nouwen. I was a serious yoga practitioner, and the yogic notions of oneness and wholeness resonated more and more with me.

Ultimately, I became comfortable with both loving Jesus and doubting a lot of Christian theology. I became comfortable with not knowing, with living the questions. I came to see faith as a process. My husband and I also found a church that was more hospitable to our evolving version of faith.

All of that would have been so much easier if I’d had this book when I started my journey. It is a great primer on progressive Christianity, an approach almost identical to how I now understand God. But it also goes a lot deeper than I had gone on my own, and gave me some new food for thought.

I highly recommend this book for spiritual seekers and for Christians like me, for whom traditional Christianity feels like a set of clothing that you’ve outgrown, and even for those who’ve given up on church. Keep looking! There are church communities that will support your questioning and your spiritual growth.

Like my reviews? Check out my blog
Author of The Saint's Mistress

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Progressive Christianity is a mystery to me, because it is often more "Progressive" than Christian, and it seems to embrace all the heretics of old and condemns the catholic faith and creeds(that most other Chrisitan churches confess to). For me, they sound like a defeatist Christianity, a Christianity that has given up to the flows of time and to critics. They crush down all the pillars of normal Christian beliefs, and then they build a house on top and say: "Let's live here!" - They cling to what is left, and often that is a barely historical, fully human, Jesus who was big on love - so this becomes the creed. This book does all this.

Mostly, I think it brings unorder with it. Progressives, like in this book, don't take time and look at de strong defenses that there are for all the aspects of Chrisitan belief and scripture. Instead of strongmanning, they strawman, and they deem it all faulty, so that they can do what their creed tells them to, namely love. The result is, yes, an accepting, open, compassionate, and loving community that does preach Jesus, God, and Paul, but does away with what they do not see as credible(or creedible to play on words) - so they end up with no resurrection, no salvation, no divinity, no mystery, no heaven, no hell, only deeds, only inspiration.

There are lots of things fundamentalist Christians can learn - a literal reading of the bible is usually faulty. It does not mean that you should throw out the baby with the bathwater - to toss 2000 years of rigorous theology and philosophy under the bus, with arguments that are easy to strongly counter, in order to get into being "progressive" and accepting.

[Greg Schloesser · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Progressive Christianity" is a term applied to those Christians who are on a journey, seeking answers and trying to be true followers of Christ. Questioning one's faith and beliefs is not considered heresy or dangerous; rather, it is viewed as a necessary part of growing in one's faith.

Living the Questions by David Felten and Jeff Procter-Murphy does a great job of explaining this process and helps one understand how fundamentalism has hijacked the true message of Jesus, turning Christianity into a faith of belief more than one of action.

For those who have questions and want to understand Jesus' messages and how to live as a Christian in the 21st Century, this book is highly recommended.

[Brian O'Dell · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a stand-alone book on Progressive Christianity I found this to be a poorly-written and composed book. There are so many better books on this same subject - basically anything written by Borg, Crossan or Spong for instance. Thus the tw0-star review. If one is using the DVD-based small group course "Living the Question" in the Church, then this book works well only as a secondary resource book that your participants can read in advance each week (though the book chapters don't mesh exactly with each of the weekly DVD presentations.
https://livingthequestions.com/produc...

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living the Questions was a book plus video series that I participated in with a study group over the course of 20 weeks - first meeting in person and then once the Pandemic shut things down, meeting via Zoom. We all agreed that this book series was one of the best we have studied. We read one chapter each week and watched the video segment. The video series was just excellent and added so much to the book. They interviewed various progressive Christians about each weekly topic, and it was so interesting to receive viewpoints from so many different people. It was a very worthwhile study.

[Orville Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a contextual exegesis of biblical themes, with focus on Jesus teachings and the themes of the New Testament documents in their Jewish context of Torah and the Roman Empire in the age of the first Caesars. The authors reference historical and current Christian figures for perspective and example of implementation of the biblical vision.

Some of the key section and chapter titles give a picture of the practical detail these authors provide in their exegesis and application to real life today.
Section One Journey:
2 Taking the Bible Seriously
4 Stories of Creation

Section Two Reconciliation:
9 The Prophetic Jesus
12 Practicing Resurrection
13 Debunking the Rapture

Section Three Transformation
16 Social Justice - Realizing God's Vision
17 Incarnation - Divinely Human
18 Prayer, Intimacy with the Divine
19 Compassion - The Heart of Jesus' Ministry

This is a well-thought-through practical implementation format for the teachings of Jesus, which present the Rule of God as the liberating and rewarding life we are meant to have.

[Meg Kruse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this several years ago and it has stuck with me. I finally got a physical copy of my own and reread it this year for the season of lent, and it resonated just as much as it did the first time. If you struggle with your faith, but are not ready to give it up, this might be the book for you

10/10

[Jim Worthington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to alternatives to dogmatic Christianity while still embracing the great principles of the New Testament

This is the kind of book that will want me to explore many of the topics in-depth. It works as a stand alone or a discussion group starter.

[Pearl Loewen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good primer on progressive Christianity. My one complaint is the caricature and criticism of conservative Christianity. I'm "progressive" myself, but extend grace and respect for those living authentic lives of love as they hold conservative views.

[Lynda Heines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening and one of those books to go back and reread, highlight, and talk about. Our book study group had several great (and somewhat heated) discussions about this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An example of both what is great about progressive Christianity and why it is in so much trouble.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

The organization of ideas and the included reading group guide makes this book one that I'll refer to and continue to read again and again

[C.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly inspiring for anyone who feels that mainline Christianity just isn't for them.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agreed with chunks of this book, disagreed with other chunks, but found the asking of the questions and thought about my answers to be very worthwhile.

[Magrey Devega · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive and accessible survey of contemporary theologies that are open, inclusive, and expansive. One of my church small groups read it and really enjoyed it.

[Mary Nuttelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A progressive take on Christianity and how to make it relevant in today's world.

[Greg D · Rating 4 out of 5]

While overall I liked some of the content of this book, I in most part wholeheartedly disagreed with its theology. Way too liberal. Explaining away everything, including the resurrection, as metaphor is not a proper hermeneutic and borders on complete heresy. Nevertheless, this does not mean I dismiss the book in its entirety as I thought there was some good material and new insight that I learned greatly from. What I appreciate the most about progressive Christianity is its love for people, justice, inclusiveness, and social reform. A Christianity that I believe is ripe for 21st century society where people want to SEE the love of Christ in action rather than ascribe to a dogmatic set of rules, right behavior, doctrine, and guilt-driven soteriology.

The first section of this book entitled, "Journey" spends a lot of time focusing on the fundamental theology of progressive Christianity. While I myself am progressive, I am not convinced the theology described in this section is universally adopted by those of us who are progressive. According to the authors of this book, the Bible is very ambiguous and primarily metaphorical. While I appreciate this view, I do believe most of the content in the Bible is literal, but certainly there is a lot of metaphor and symbolism mixed in as well. This is when we need to use discernment in our hermeneutics of Scripture to make an informed decision. Furthermore, there is plenty of extra-biblical evidence that support the historicity and veracity of the events, people, and geography of the Bible to totally dismiss it as metaphor... making the Bible to be what it truly is, a God-inspired narrative of the unfolding of God's plan for the redemption and reconciliation of mankind to their Creator. However, I agree with the authors that Christianity today is stale, dogmatic, and institutional. Heavily doctrinal driven and fundamentalist. Perhaps, a leftover of medieval-era religion. I agree that we need to always be reassessing what we believe and potentially change our views as we grow and mature in our faith in Christ. And, I believe this can be achieved without losing the overall integrity of Scripture or adopting heretical views.

The second section of this book entitled, "Reconciliation" continues with some fundamental issues along with several secondary issues. I, in most part, agreed with much of the content of this section. That Jesus exemplified a servant who often acted counter to the institutions of His day, and proclaimed some teachings that were completely counter cultural. Two of my favorite parts of this section was about The Myth of Redemptive Violence and Debunking the Rapture. Two subjects that I am in total agreement with progressive Christianity. Redemptive violence (i.e. war, military, vengeance, etc) is not something that Jesus taught, in fact, taught completely against it. And yet, most of today's evangelical Christianity has embraced it. Often times being the first to beat the war drums in support of any military action against another country. Similarly, the doctrine of the Rapture, a rather new doctrine and fanciful imagination of end-time dispensationalism promulgated by John Nelson Darby, does not appear to be a biblical doctrine but a man-made one that not only instigates violence, but promotes escapism, tribalism, and describes God as a wrathful and cranky curmudgeon to those who are "left behind".

The third and final section entitled, "Transformation" addresses issues such as inclusivity, social justice, prayer, compassion, and embracing mystery. While this was a valuable section that touched on important issues it seemed the book lost it's flair by this time and I struggled to finish it. It just seemed tired. But, there were a lot of valid points to be made. I especially appreciated the last chapter "Embracing Mystery". It's okay that we don't know all of the answers. It's okay we don't know everything there is about God. Sometimes it's good to just recognize the fact that we don't know, embrace it, and enjoy it. One of my favorite quotes in this chapter is this: "The image of God as a person has to give way to the image of God as presence."

Overall, it was a decent read and I recommend this book to Christians who are tired of what seems to be an apathetic and tired Christianity. But, I also offer a word of caution. While progressive Christianity has a lot to offer to our post modern society today, it does seem to have abandoned some important fundamentals of the Christian faith that are cautionary at most. And, while I and many that I know are progressive, I don't believe this book speaks on behalf of all of us who are progressive. Nevertheless, this is a good read and there are a lot of gems that can be found throughout this important book.

[John Suddath · Rating 4 out of 5]

While some may consider this book as an ultra-liberal intellectural approach to theology and Christology, I think the primary thrust is to challenge us to reconsider our personal beliefs, spirituality, and relationship with God. Perhaps by striving too hard to rationalize the accretion of 2,000 years of myths and traditions, the authors have unintentionally assumed a more defensive position than they intended. Of course, whenever you challenge people’s long-held attitudes and beliefs, you’re bound to encounter resistance. So they felt the need to perhaps over-emphasize the justification of their positions. I agree with their basic assumption that religion and spirituality are neither static nor relegated to the long-dead past, and that it is our personal relationship with God that it has any meaning.
However upsetting the apple cart of tradition may be to some, it was thought-providing to me as I found myself debating with the authors in their priorities and assumptions. I think it cumulated in the final chapter “Embracing Mystery,” which I found to be a very weak description of the concept of the Holy Spirit. I assume they consciously were avoiding that terminology because of all the baggage associated with it, but to me it is essential to the understanding of the Christian Religion.
The history of Christianity is cluttered with a long list of sidetracks, heresies, and outright fraud so it is understandable that with some intellectuals it has lost its credibility. But at least “organized religion” has provided a continuity that otherwise would have been lost through the meanderings of history, continuous wars, empires, and cataclysms of ignorance, poverty, and stupidity. I’m somewhat preoccupied with the current phrase of political stupidity and gridlock in which we find ourselves in this country so it’s hard for me to be tolerant and respectful of the tribulations of the past. It’s hard to get our minds around the idea of our famous “Founding Fathers” in establishing the concept of the separation of church and state. Unfortunately, that separation seems to have weakened with the current thrust to move us to a Christian theocratic state similar to the Moslem state of Iran.
As a life-long Methodist, it is somewhat unsettling to have the Apostle’s Creed that I recite every Sunday over-turned, but on the other hand the authors re-enforced the Wesleyan Quadrilateral even though they never mention his theology. I agree that we must be in the business of continuing to question rather than focusing of systematizing a set of rigid answers or creeds, but the Methodists have never been accused of that. After all, we don’t have a Catechism. Wesley was much broader in his principles, practices, and politics even though he was very rigid in his church administration and organization.
Given the gridlock of the past 40 years of the debates at the General Conference of the United Methodist Church about just one social issue, I share the enthusiasm for some room for diversity of opinions so that we can resume our primary mission of evangelism of the Good News. There has been too much enmity and wasted effort that only has weakened the church because it couldn’t move into the 20th Century, much less the 21st Century.

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

This post concludes a series of reviews I did on the book (you can find the first review here: http://bit.ly/1slA8wB. I have to admit, when I first got this book, I was really excited! In fact, I’d forgotten about applying to Speakeasy until the book arrived. What initially drew me to this book were the endorsements from others, most of which I highly respect and whose views have helped me a great deal. But a little here and a little there, the excitement started to wear thin. And, after a bit, it became bothersome. Don’t get me wrong, there are some really good things in the book, but over-all, I don’t think it accomplished what it set out to achieved.

At the end of the book, Felten and Procter-Murphy summarize their idea of Living the Questions with:

By living the questions — and simply paying attention — we open ourselves to a perspective on life that prepares us to embrace mystery...Isn’t that what it’s all about? When mystery is embraced, freedom is embraced. Openness is embraced. The journey is embraced. Far from being cast adrift, those who embrace mystery are set on a lifelong path of discovery, growth, and gratitude for the wonder of it all (pp. 227-228).


I don’t really feel that Felten and Procter-Murphy did that in this book. They may have emphasized “paying attention” in one of the chapters, but for the most part, the book didn’t really speak to “mystery.” Not unless you count deconstructing several long held traditions as “embrac[ing] mystery.” They may view it that way, but several of us wouldn’t. The main problem with deconstruction is that, most of the time, no re-construction is done. Things are just left in shambles. People are left to pick up the pieces of their broken lives on their own. That’s not how leaders and teachers should work. It’s like “teaching” someone how to swim by never giving them lessons but dropping them into the deep end of the pool. Yelling “Sink or swim!” isn’t teaching. It’s not “embracing mystery.” To me, it’s downright cruel.

A better approach would be something more akin to Marcus Borg’s book, The Heart of Christianity. In it, Borg does some of the same things that Felten and Procter-Murphy do in this book — deconstruct long held beliefs. But then, Borg gives an alternate view. That is, he not only shows how the “old view” no longer works for most people today, but he shows how the “new view” works — he replaces one pair of glasses with another pair, a pair that keeps the centrality of previously seen things, but they’re now seen in a different way.

So, in conclusion, I wouldn’t recommend this book to someone looking for the “Wisdom of Progressive Christianity,” no matter what the subtitle says. A better book for that would be Borg’s book I mentioned above.



~~~
In the Love of the Three in One,

Br. Jack+, LC

~~~
#SpeakeasyLTQWisdom
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Lee Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Latin re-ligio: To relink, to reconnect.

Buy this book! If I do a “best of 2012” summary this January, I guarantee this one will be near the top. Heart and head both feel satisfied as I turn the last page.

This is what progressive Christianity is all about. It will toy with your emotions, lift you to the heights of compassion, and fill your soul with awe for the beauty and mystery of life we share. God is in this book, until you set the book down and discover He has wiggled out of its pages and into your soul. Perhaps God was inside you all along, waiting to be reawakened?

Many of us do need reawakening; religion has become a turn-off for many. In no other area of life is the denial of progress held up as a virtue. But according to Felten and Procter-Murphy, stagnation, not change, is Christianity’s deadliest enemy. Vital faith is dynamic, flowing, and moving. Progressive Christianity, by its very name, is about progress. Rethinking the meaning of Christology, atonement, and the Incarnation is part of the journey. Losing interest in the Rapture is a necessary side effect.

“Living the Questions” is an enigmatic title, and the book begins with this insight: “To not ask questions is tantamount to forfeiting one’s own spiritual birthright and allowing other people’s experience of the Divine to define your experience.” It ends with the reminder that “those who embrace mystery are free to interpret the Divine in new and fresh ways.” In the pages between, however, we travel back in time to the Jesus of history, a man of vision and compassion, and a this-worldly concern largely ignored by the creeds of the religion that sprouted in his name. The essence of Jesus’ ministry might be distilled down into one word: compassion.

Then we’re reintroduced to God who, through the scriptures, is Mother, Father, the Wind, a Rock, and finally just Love. God, says John Shelby Spong (who along with Fox and Crossan is quoted liberally in these pages) is the life power itself, the power of love itself, the “Ground of Being.”

One final note: I’m not a poetry reader, but the occasional sprinkling of poetry by Cynthia Langston Kirk was mesmerizing … I suspect in part because the atmosphere of the book primed me to appreciate the poetic.

[Amos Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book and well written. I admire the work of the authors, which now serves as a foundation for Progressive Christianity. For a long time there was no broad survey of topics of Progressive Christianity in a format that was readily accessible. The authors David Felten and Jeff Procter-Murphy have provided this foundation, not only in book format, but also in the format of DVDs. My church has used the "Living The Questions" DVD series with excellent results. We had a good turn out for the DVDs, and the conversations following the DVD sessions were always animated and edifying.

I highly recommend this book to people who are first becoming acquainted with Progressive Christianity and want to learn more. I have found that the responses to the discovery of the books and DVDs are usually enthusiastic like, "Wow, I had no idea this resource existed. I wish more of my open-minded friends could see these DVDs and see that there is an alternative to the regressive forms of Christianity that so often get the media coverage."

-Amos Smith (author of Healing The Divide: Recovering Christianity's Mystic Roots)