A Theology for PPF
By Eric Kiper
I believe that in order to be useful, a theology of progressive religion must be as succinct and accessible as possible. With this in mind, I have organized what I think is a basic theology into three points.
The first point can be summed up in the phrase, “Every experience of the divine is valid; no explanation of the divine is adequate.” This is perhaps the center idea; the “progressive” in progressive theology. The idea that experiences such as the sudden realization of the mathematical perfection of the universe and the vision of an ancient goddess in your living room are both valid experiences of the divine is a stretch for most people. Add in the concept that neither of these experiences contains absolute truth and most people really think you’ve gone over the edge. I believe, however, that any truly progressive theology must begin not just with tolerance of other beliefs but by accepting that all beliefs are equally responsible for their own truth.
This leads us to the second point which is an understanding of the difference between mythology and history. I must first stress the importance of mythology. Every human culture has had mythology. It is therefore apparent that mythology is more than just unnecessary stories. And yet many Christians find the idea that the bible represents a collection of mythology and not history (or, perhaps, at best mythologized history) to be insulting. “I believe it because it’s in the bible.” Confusing mythology and history gives people an easy way of NEVER having to THINK about their beliefs or accept responsibility for how those beliefs affect the people and the world around them.
This brings us finally to the acceptance of personal responsibility. As the two previous points illustrate, religion has a tendency to absolve individuals ( and especially itself) form responsibility for their actions. In the absence of absolute truth and a historically accurate mythology I believe the only choice is to embrace personal responsibility as a guide in morality and the correct expression of our beliefs.
This is only a brief introduction to a large subject but I hope it can serve as a starting point for future discussions.
February 6th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
Eric, Mark and I did some additional work on theology. We came up with some simple and direct statements.
1. All experiences of the Divine are valid. No explanations are adequate.
2. Myth is not history.
3. Your beliefs effect your behavior.
4. Your behavior effects the world and the people around you.
5. You are responsible for your effects on others and the world.
February 18th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
In regards to statement 1. (All experiences of the Divine are valid. No explanations are adequate.) Posted by Father Jim and Mark–I’ve been wondering about this. I agree that all experiences of the Divine are valid, and that these are valid without explanation. As a group that is more progressive in thought, theologies and worship–we may want to qualify this statement in someway. The qualification is connected to my concern that a fundamental Christian may come into the group wishing to “save” us. Though I am willing to recognize the fundamental Christian experience, I have not found this to be a mutual recognition by both parties. Thus, personally I wish to add a “but” or “however” indicating that we do not necessary agree with or support experiences that are oppressive or exclusive.
February 19th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
Actually, I made the original post and I like the original wording of the phrase. Every experience of the divine is valid; no explanation of the divine is adequate. In the original wording the two phrases are seperated by a semicolon. I’m not sure this is grammatically correct but to me it connects the two phrases as part of the same idea. Also, it seems as thought the idea that we do not support exclusive experiences is kind of built in. I mean if every experience of the divine is valid, how can any one be more valid than the others? Also, the more I think about it, the more I think that the last three points are really only one point that can be summed up as “You are responsible for how the expression of your beliefs effects the world and the people around you.”