Gary Dorrien has some thoughts on why Liberal Protestantism may seem not to be thriving, and yet be doing some very important things less visibly. Here's the conclusion:
I regret that religious progressives like me have reached so few people beyond the small worlds of the academy, church and community organizing in which we live.
Progressive Christianity today, by whatever name, is characterized by an ethos of egalitarian civility that makes it allergic to developing strong leaders. It works in a coalitional style and speaks in the voice of an improvisational ensemble, or as James Wind says, an always-evolving chorus. We don’t want anyone to presume to lead us or speak for us, and we tend to be reticent about our faith.
On occasion we lament the absence of prophetic heroes, but what really matters to us is to build cooperative, ecumenical, egalitarian communities that promote human flourishing and the variety of spiritual gifts.
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