Origins The term "progressive Christianity" was coined by the German-American
Lutheran pastor and scholar, John H. W. Stuckenberg: A priority of justice and care for the down-trodden are a recurrent theme in the
Hebrew prophetic tradition inherited by
Christianity. This has been reflected in many later Christian traditions of service and
ministry, and more recently in the United States of America through Christian involvement in political trends such as the
Progressive Movement and the
Social Gospel. Throughout the 20th century, a strand of progressive or liberal Christian thought outlined the values of a 'good
society'. It stresses fairness, justice, responsibility, and compassion, and condemns the forms of governance that wage
unjust war, rely on corruption for continued power, deprive the poor of facilities, or exclude particular racial or sexual groups from fair participation in national liberties. It was influential in the US
mainline churches, and reflected global trends in
student activism. It contributed to
ecumenism and the development of the
World Student Christian Federation and the
World Council of Churches., and at the national level through groups such as the
National Council of Churches in the US and
Australian Student Christian Movement.
Contemporary movement In 1961, a group of pastors from the
National Baptist Convention, USA wishing to become more involved with
civil rights founded the
Progressive National Baptist Convention. The
Sojourners magazine was founded in 1971 by the
Sojourners Community and was the first progressive magazine. The
Center for Progressive Christianity was founded in 1996 by
Episcopal priest James Rowe Adams in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, with the aim of bringing together progressive Christian organizations and churches. In 2007, the
Red-Letter Christians movement was founded by
Baptist pastor
Tony Campolo and
Shane Claiborne in order to offer Christian resources about various social issues, such as a blog, a podcast, and conferences. In the UK, the Progressive Christianity Britain network was founded in 2003 and has adopted eight
non-credal points which reflect the nature of a Christian life explored from a progressive standpoint. The network holds group meetings in many locations around the country. According to
Archbishop Wynn Wagner of the former
North American Old Catholic Church, inclusiveness and acceptance is the basic posture of progressive Christianity. The dominance of
evangelicalism in the US, particularly in its more socially conservative forms, challenged many people in mainline churches. This has enabled many Christians who are uncomfortable with conservative evangelicalism to identify themselves explicitly as "progressive Christians". ==Beliefs==