It's a great time to be a liberal Christian! Books by progressive authors have been hitting the shelves with some frequency. Curriculum companies have sprung up with materials that are helping church members to embrace a new kind of Christianity. Podcasts from members of the Emergent Church movement are saying things that many churches on the left have been declaring for years. These are just a few of the reasons I am not completely filled with despair when I look at the state of Christianity today.
Over the past few months I have reviewed several books and resources I think every progressive congregation should have and use (see links below), and in coming weeks I'll share 2 more that I have been enjoying. But of all of the introductions to progressive Christianity I've read, I think I would most enjoy using Jesus Was a Liberal: Reclaiming Christianity for All by Rev. Scotty McLennan (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. 260 pp.) with a book group that was held in a neutral, secular setting.
McLennan is the Dean for Religious Life at Stanford University, and he was one of two inspirations for Rev. Scot Sloan in the Doonesbury comic strip. What makes his book unique is the rich pool of experience that he brings to his writing as an author, a professor, a chaplain, an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, an attorney, and more. Throughout the book, McLennan weaves together personal stories, quotes from a very wide spectrum of religious books (conservative Christian, atheist, Buddhist, Jewish, and many others), church and biblical history, theology, and his own musings to create a rich and beautiful tapestry.
The title, Jesus Was a Liberal, would easily give a person who passed this book in a bookstore the idea that the focus is only on Jesus. Actually, McLennan mostly leaves the scholarly exploration of the historical Jesus to other books. Instead, he takes his seasoned liberal faith and applies it to a wide number of topics, putting his cards on the table immediately by looking at science, abortion, and same-sex marriage before diving into the more expected fare of the Bible, God, the Church, and being in dialog with both atheists and conservative Christians. All of this material is engaging, if somewhat familiar to those who have explored these topics before. [Note: when you go searching for this book, be sure you don't accidentally pick up a similarly-titled book, which is a decent but definitely inferior read.]
The book's second section was where I felt things started to really pick up, as McLennan questions society and applies his years of experience and study to the issues of poverty, bigotry, war, environmental destruction, and church/state issues. A group reading this book together would, I think, feel inspired to engage others in conversation and present a progressive viewpoint, because McLennan's exploration of each topic is concise and easy to follow. The final section is equally strong, particularly for those who are new to progressive theology in the life of the church. All of the major topics are beautifully summarized in a way that only a lifelong liberal Christian can, such as the doctrine of the Trinity, Communion, Sabbath, and the seasons of the Church year. An epilogue on reclaiming the term liberal is also quite good, and the book ends with over 30 pages of notes and reading suggestions for those interested in further study.
With 11 chapters, a preface, and an epilogue, the book is ideal for a 13-week study. The blend of hot-button topics, traditional religious themes and interests, and descriptions of the progressive Christian life make this a stand-out book and highly accessible reading for both those who are immersed in or only casually interested in the Christian faith. If you're seeking a book for a small group or Sunday school class, Jesus Was a Liberal is worth a liberal dose of your time!
~ Tim Gossett