“Although science has undergone three major paradigm shifts since the Middle Ages, the church still relies on medieval theology to explain the mysteries of Christian faith.” (Ilia Delio)
Life in the 21st century is bursting with opportunities to explore the exponential growth in human understanding of the nature of reality. The wonders of the Cosmos, the intricacies of the human body, the miracles of life on Earth, and the complexities of consciousness can be explored digitally. Science, technology, and vast reservoirs of accessible wisdom render much of Christian theology useless when it comes to supporting life here and now. The disconnect between the church’s carefully constructed belief systems and the unprecedented information we have available at our fingertips, has given birth to questions which compel the faithful rethink our theology, NOW! Progressive Christianity is a response to the mismatch between the medieval consciousness of the church and the ever-expanding, evolutionary consciousness of those who seek to follow the teachings of Jesus here and NOW. This rethinking seeks ways to move beyond the three-tiered universe of our ancestors so that we might begin to embody Wisdom born of the ongoing revelations of DIVINITY through the evolutionary life of the Cosmos.
In this course we will briefly examine the history and development of the emerging christian movement which has loosely adopted the moniker of “progressive christianity.” The course will provide an introduction to questions progressive christians continue to rethink, questions about theism, christology, panentheism, and the opportunities which the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth offer to the evolution and well-being of humanity.
While theology will play a role in this course, our primary emphasis will be practical, as we look at the urgent need to rethink christianity, as well as the implications of rethinking for the church, the Earth, our culture, our communities, and the evolution of Creation. All lectures and seminars will address the challenges and opportunities of rethinking christianity in community. This course will be of particular interest to those followers of Jesus’ Way of Being who are seeking to create, nurture, and support communities of faith which are about the crucial work of LOVE in the world.
Questioning and rethinking are characteristics of progressive christianity, so in addition to readings and lectures, this course will include seminar sessions where participants can question and rethink together.
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