Living the Questions by David M. Felton and Jeff Proctor-Murphy

Living the Questions  by David M. Felton and Jeff Proctor-Murphy

Living the Questions is virtually a manifesto of Progressive Christianity. This book is brought to you by the same people who made Living the Questions: Saving Jesus Redux DVD. Sometimes the movie is better than the book. In this case, the reverse is true. I reviewed the DVD, and I have to say that I thought the book was much better. No, I don’t agree with all of the philosophical underpinnings of Progressive Christianity that is promoted in the book. But at least the book was not condescending to the reader. In the DVD, the young people at the beginning of each segment made the viewer seem insignificant. In the book, the emphasis is placed on why Progressive Christianity is worth my time. The book is divided into three sections: (1) Journey, (2) Reconciliation, and (3) Transformation. These divisions form the fundamentals of the Progressive Christian faith. At times, these fundamentals are critiques of Evangelical Christianity (note chapter 13 entitled “Debunking the Rapture“). However, on the whole, the book does a good job introducing the reader to Progressive Christianity.

If as a Christian, you believe in creation care, non-violence as a form of protest, breaking down walls and developing social justice in the world, then you will feel comfortable and at home in this book. If you are an open-minded evangelical who is willing to read other points of view, then unlike the DVD, this book will do a good job of presenting the Progressive Christian viewpoint. One does not have to agree with the ideas to understand them. One can also learn even from someone else’s point of view. The book is thoroughly footnoted, indexed and comes with a bibliography and suggested reading list. It also comes with a reader’s guide with helpful questions for the reader to digest and process the information presented.

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.