This is a collection of eight introductory essays on progressive Christianity, each one illustrated by a new hymn.
From the author:
When people ask me what I mean when I call myself a progressive Christian, I tend to offer a list of things I disagree with. For example: I do not find the theory of evolution offensive or even particularly controversial. I do not believe that the Bible is infallible, inerrant, or literally true in all its parts; it is not, to me, the word of God. I do not judge people based on their sexual orientation, and I don't think God does either. I do not think God's judgment takes the form of punishing sinners with eternal torment. I do not think that Jesus died to pay the price for our sins. I do not try to make converts of people who are being well served by other religious traditions. And so on-and as I speak this way, I find that I am defining progressive Christianity by listing the aspects of conventional Christianity it rejects.
But in the end, that isn't enough. It isn't enough to say what you reject; you must also say what you claim. Hymn-writing turns out to be a good discipline for this. Perhaps any theological writing that is strictly negative is inadequate-but any hymnody that is strictly negative is obviously inadequate. You have only to imagine trying to turn the previous paragraph into a song to feel the flaw in it. You might perhaps turn it into an amusing series of negative verses, but those verses would be begging to be answered by a refreshingly positive refrain.
The essays in this collection, and the hymns that go with them, express aspects of a positive progressive theology. They are not meant to give a systematic statement of that theology; there are plenty of topics unaddressed here, and there's plenty of room for a sequel (which is in the works!). These essays and hymns are, in the old sense, occasional pieces. They were written for particular occasions in my spiritual journey. I hope they will be a blessing in yours.
Please note that the hymns in the book are free: they come with a Creative Commons license that allows unlimited copying for non-commercial use.
