PPF blog

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.