Why a Progressive Christian Vision Is So Important
The old adage, “One can be so heavenly minded that one is no earthly good,” bears some truth. Traditional forms of Christianity tend to focus on the afterlife and being right with God so that one will end up in the right place. They also tend to be quite exclusive in terms of who’s in and out of God’s favor. More progressive expressions of Christianity emphasize more inclusive versions of the kingdom of God . In Colossians 3, after admonishing his readers to clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance, and forgiveness, the writer says: “Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (3:14). “Everything together in perfect (or complete) harmony” can serve as a poignant depiction of a progressive view of God’s kingdom. From the progressive point of view, the kingdom of God is as much about this life in this world as it is about the life and world to come. It’s about being in ...