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5 Signs Your Church Might Be Heading toward Progressive Christianity

  • Alisa Childers Author, speaker
  • Updated Jul 16, 2024
5 Signs Your Church Might Be Heading toward Progressive Christianity

Several years ago, my husband and I began attending a local Evangelical, non-denominational church, and we loved it. We cherished the sense of community we found among the loving and authentic people we met there, and the intelligent, "outside the box" pastor who led our flock with thought-provoking and insightful sermons. Sadly, the church started going off the rails theologically, and after about a year and a half, we made the difficult decision to leave. Today that church is a self-titled "Progressive Christian Community."

Back then I had never heard of "Progressive Christianity," and even now it is difficult to pin down what actually qualifies someone as a Progressive Christian, due to the diversity of beliefs that fall under that designation. However, there are signs—certain phrases and ideas—that seem to be consistent in Progressive circles. Here are 5 danger signs to watch for in your church:

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  • Open Bible with pages flipping, progressive christianity lowered view of bible

    1. There is a lowered view of the Bible

    One of the main differences between Progressive Christianity and Historic Christianity is its view of the Bible. Historically, Christians have viewed the Bible as the Word of God and authoritative for our lives. Progressive Christianity generally abandons these terms, emphasizing personal belief over biblical mandate.

    Comments you might hear:

    • The Bible is a human book...
    • I disagree with the Apostle Paul on that issue...
    • The Bible condones immorality, so we are obligated to reject what it says in certain places...
    • The Bible "contains" the word of God...


    Related Resource: Listen to Alisa Childers on our FREE podcast, The Becket Cook Show. All of our episodes are available at LifeAudio.com.

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  • Women talking on a couch, progressive christianity feelings over doctrine

    2. Feelings are emphasized over facts

    In Progressive churches, personal experiences, feelings, and opinions tend to be valued above objective truth. As the Bible ceases to be viewed as God’s definitive word, what a person feels to be true becomes the ultimate authority for faith and practice.

    Comments you might hear:

    • That Bible verse doesn't resonate with me....
    • I thought homosexuality was a sin until I met and befriended some gay people....
    • I just can’t believe Jesus would send good people to hell....

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  • Two men talking, are essential christian doctrines open to reinterpretation

    3. Essential Christian doctrines are open for re-interpretation

    Progressive author John Pavlovitz wrote, “There are no sacred cows [in Progressive Christianity]....Tradition, dogma, and doctrine are all fair game, because all pass through the hands of flawed humanity." Progressive Christians are often open to re-defining and re-interpreting the Bible on hot-button moral issues like homosexuality and abortion, and also cardinal doctrines such as the virgin conception and the bodily resurrection of Jesus. The only sacred cow is "no sacred cows." 

    Comments you might hear:

    • The resurrection of Jesus doesn't have to be factual to speak truth....
    • The church's historic position on sexuality is archaic and needs to be updated within a modern framework...
    • The idea of a literal hell is offensive to non-Christians and needs to be re-interpreted....

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  • Closeup on one page of a Bible

    4. Historic terms are re-defined

    There are some Progressive Christians who say they affirm doctrines like biblical inspiration, inerrancy, and authority, but they have to do linguistic gymnastics to make those words mean what they want them to mean. I remember asking a Pastor, "Do you believe the Bible is divinely inspired?" He answered confidently, "Yes, of course!" However, I mistakenly assumed that when using the word "inspired," we both meant the same thing. He clarified months later what he meant—that the Bible is inspired in the same way and on the same level as many other Christian books, songs, and sermons. This, of course, is not how Christians have historically understood the doctrine of divine inspiration.

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  • Hands holding a collection of heart cushions Photo Credit: ©Thinkstock

    Including the Word "Love"

    Another word that tends to get a Progressive make-over is the word "love." When plucked out of its biblical context, it becomes a catch-all term for everything non-confrontative, pleasant, and affirming.

    Comments you might hear:

    • God wouldn't punish sinners—He is love....
    • Sure, the Bible is authoritative—but we've misunderstood it for the first 2,000 years of church history...
    • It's not our job to talk to anyone about sin—it's our job to just love them....

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  • Cross in the sky, sin redemption social justice

    5. The heart of the gospel message shifts from sin and redemption to social justice

    There is no doubt that the Bible commands us to take care of the unfortunate and defend those who are oppressed. This is a very real and profoundly important part of what it means to live out our Christian faith. However, the core message of Christianity—the gospel—is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and resurrected, and thereby reconciled us to God. This is the message that will truly bring freedom to the oppressed. 

    Many Progressive Christians today find the concept of God willing His Son to die on the cross to be embarrassing or even appalling. Sometimes referred to as "cosmic child abuse," the idea of blood atonement is de-emphasized or denied altogether, with social justice and good works enthroned in its place.

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  • Two men talking

    Comments you might hear:

    • Sin doesn't separate us from God—we are made in His image and He called us good....
    • God didn't actually require a sacrifice for our sins—the first Christians picked up on the pagan practice of animal sacrifice and told the Jesus story in similar terms....
    • We don't really need to preach the gospel—we just need to show love by bringing justice to the oppressed and provision to the needy...

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  • Two women talking

    Conclusion:

    Identifying the signs is not always obvious—sometimes they are subtle and mixed with a lot of truth. Progressive Christianity can be persuasive and enticing, but carried out to its logical end, it is an assault on the foundational framework of Christianity, leaving it disarmed of its saving power.

    We shouldn’t be surprised to find some of these ideas infiltrating our churches. Jesus warned us, “Watch out for false prophets” who “come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15). So if you spot any of these 5 danger signs in your place of worship, it might be time to pray about finding fellowship in a more biblically faithful church community.

    Related Resource: How Do We Heal Our Nation? 9 Guidelines to Unite and Restore

    Against the backdrop of recent troubling events and escalating tensions, Catherine delves into the profound divisions that have permeated society, emphasizing the critical role of faith in bridging these divides. In this timely episode of Christian Parent/Crazy World, Catherine offers 9 guidelines to help heal our nation and bring about unity. These guidelines are not only spiritual but also relational, aiming to bridge the divide by the disciplines of prayer and fasting, and then fostering understanding and a shared sense of humanity with these best practices during contentious exchanges. Listen now and be sure to subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

    This article originally appeared on AlisaChilders.com. Used with permission.

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