Progressive Vs. Emergent

I realized while writing my post on constructing a progressive Christian identity, I used the term "progressive Christian." (And did it again while trying to summarize the original post.)

What do I mean?

Largely, I mean "emergent," but without the baggage.

If we're being honest, emergent/emergence Christianity was never what it set out to be. I recall one blogger once described the situation this way (I have to paraphrase, because I have no clue who said it on which blog): 

If you went into a mall and asked for all of the emergent Christians to report to the Starbucks, you'd end up with a bunch of fifty-year-old white men and maybe a handful of other folks. The rest of the Christians who embody what is meant by "emergent" would still be wandering around elsewhere.

The original author of that quip, writing about a decade ago, was trying to describe the Brian McLaren types. No offense to Brian, but the Millenial and Gen X Christians were too busy being emergent to actually assign ourselves a label. It's a failed title for a successful and on-going identity.

Then there's the other side of the baggage: that emergent Christians are really just closet "seeker-friendly Christians." Or, as a conservative pastor put it, emergent Christians are those who like to light a few candles while they pray. (Driscoll, I think. Sounds like the sort of dismissive language he would use.)

Anyway, when I talk about being a "progressive" Christian, I mean to describe Christians who are generally focused on social justice (though may vote either way at the polls), who are either supportive of full LGBT inclusion in the Church or open to dialog and a certain amount of charitable tension, and who are open to a variety of Scriptural interpretations.  Progressive Christians tend to value the Creeds over (though not against) denominational doctrine, and we also tend to incorporate sources of authority in addition to Scripture. They may or may not have come from conservative or fundamentalist backgrounds, they may or may not belong to a set denomination,  and they or may not support use of the liturgy -- in some form or fashion.

I can think of any number of progressive Christians who were raised in historically open and/or liberal denominations (the UCC and certain parts of the mainline), mainline denominations (the Episcopal Church, ELCA, UMC, PCUSA, CBF), and many who have left conservative and fundamentalist denominations (the LCMS, PCA, SBC). There are some who are from non-Protestant traditions (Catholics and Pentecostals -- and if I knew enough Orthodox, I'm sure I'd find some progressives there, too).