Progressive or Evangelical?

Over the past year or so I’ve been writing for Patheos, several people have told me my articles don’t belong in the Evangelical channel. I’ve been reflecting on this over time, and realise I have a conundrum to solve. There is much a share with my Evangelical brothers and sisters:

• I love the Bible, spending regular time diving into its wisdom in the presence of the Holy Spirit. If I want answers, prayer and Bible study are my first port of call.
• I believe the power to grow and change lies in part in meditating on the words of scripture, sowing them deeply into my heart.
• I love to worship and fellowship with my fellow believers. My richest experience of Christian community in recent years is a cell group in an Evangelical church. Being with my friends in the presence of God has been a lifeline and a source of great joy.
• I believe Jesus is the Son of God. He is the Great I Am and the Lamb who was Slain, before whom every knee will bow and tongue confess that he is Lord. Jesus is the absolute centre of my faith.
• I cling to the cross. It is the pivot-point of human history, the fulcrum of salvation, and the most devastating display of divine love and humility.

I sometimes disagree with commonly held Evangelical beliefs, but only because I think they have been misconstrued and misappropriated from verses that in context, might mean something else. I have wonderful fellowship with Evangelical friends and attend an Evangelical church.

That said, I also have much in common with progressives:

• I believe we were never meant to assume perfection from the Biblical writers. Perhaps in moments of written prophecy, and certainly in the words of Jesus, but it is important to understand the perspective and limitations of each writer, and the type of material they were writing. For example, the writer of Ecclesiastes declared that everything is meaningless, and that the best way to live is to eat, drink, and be merry. In context, these are part of a stream of consciousness, as the writer works through his thoughts to reach some much more positive conclusions. I give myself permission to understand (and give weight to) the words that are written, grasping their context, thrust, and placement within a narrative. If we had to take each verse as somehow absent of human flaws and as perfect instruction from the Lord, we would all be in despair after reading Ecclesiastes, choosing to believe that all of life in without meaning. This is a very simple and rather obvious point, and yet it challenges the very heart of Evangelical short-sightedness. The Bible is not a flat, two-dimensional text.
• I am in favour of a fully inclusive Church, which welcomes the LGBTQ community.
• I am against Christian nationalism, and attempting to force ‘Christian’ ideals (which in my view are not always Christian at all) on a diverse populace through legislation. Faith and politics should be kept as far apart as possible.
• I am as close to a universalist as can be without carrying the banner. That’s not because of squeamishness, but because I genuinely believe that universal salvation is the end goal of the Gospel and of God. When you look at the Bible with fresh eyes, I believe that universalism is baked into its verses as the beating heart of God.

Sometimes this leaves me feeling spiritually homeless. Progressives can be put off by my continual return to the Bible and insistence on the importance of closeness with the Holy Spirit, and certain groups of Evangelicals can be frightened by questions they don’t want to face, even though facing them ultimately leaves you with a stronger, more resilient faith.

The importance of Unity

For me, unity is of the highest importance to God. Ephesians 1:7-10,

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment – to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

The mystery of God’s will, purposed since before the dawn of time in Christ and fulfilled through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, is to bring all things into unity under Christ (please note the deep implication of universal salvation). And yet we, God’s Church, are too often and too easily divided, pulling in different directions while claiming to work towards the same end goal – the glory of Christ.

I don’t know what the solution is, but I know I don’t want to contribute to its worsening. It is not my place to decide or even suspect whether or not a person walks with God. Judgement is a fool’s game, and I want to build a space that is as absent of it as possible.

I’m inviting you, dear reader, to join me. Can we move away from division, politics, and judgement, and look to build each other up? That doesn’t mean we avoid important challenges, but the way in which we speak to each other is important. If you want to explore faith rather than division, to grow rather than stagnate, to be challenged rather than reaffirmed in whatever you already believe, I covet your ongoing companionship and look forward to engaging with you.

Best,

Duncan