What Does a Progressive Christian Believe? by Delwin Brown

Author:Delwin Brown
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Social Issues, Liberalism (Religion), Christian Life, Theology, Religion, Fundamentalism, General, Spiritual Growth, Christian Theology
ISBN: 9781596270848
Publisher: Seabury Books
Published: 2008-03-01T06:00:00+00:00

(;hapter G

Sin:

Failing and Hiding

he Christian "doctrine" of sin is not a morbid prescription for guilt or a tirade on the topic of human worthlessness. Or at least it should not be. Discussions of sin should help us see what is going on about us and within us as well. '1 he aim should be to give us insight into our personal and collective failings, not just the simple ones but also the complex failings that seem to continue despite our best intentions. And, in fact, a profound understanding of sin might enable us to see failings that we had not previously noticed, even if at some level we had felt them.

Finally, an analysis of sin should provide us with greater insight into the dynamics of our failings-why and how they happen-and bring us to the question, to he addressed in the next chapter, about how healing is possible. Palk about sin should he a means whereby we see ourselves more clearly, act more humanely, and learn to work more effectively for a better future for ourselves and our planet.

'That said, we must acknowledge that discussions of sin, in American Christianity especially, have not been very useful. 'Ibis is due in part to the way that, historically, sin-talk has seemed-and, in fact, has been-anti-world, anti-sex, antifemale, anti-pleasure, anti-pride, anti-hope, and opposed to equality and self-affirmation, just to mention a few of its drawbacks! To circumvent these consequences, the notion of sin has over time been "revised." In most cases, however, the revision has been pretty shallow-sin is a lag in human evolution (what can we do about that?), a quaint name for psychological maladies (why add to the mystification of psychological lingo?), a deviation from majority expectations (that's bad?), or a violation of somebody else's favorite Bible verses, which is especially shallow because everybody can will that game.

If it is to be worthy of a hearing, progressive Christianity must articulate an insightful and constructive understanding of sin, one that makes a difference to human understanding and potentially to human behavior. And to do so, I think progressive Christians would be well-advised to look again at the historic resources of Christian tradition. However difficult it might be to unhook those resources from the abuses of the past and the misunderstandings to which they have given rise, the effort just might pay off. It's true that much in historic Christian talk about sin has been sick and oppressive. But underneath the layers of disease and destruction there is, I believe, a great deal of insight to contemplate and appropriate for a Christian vision that will truly be progressive in today's world.

Let me explain.

The Forms of Sin: Pride and Sensuality

In classical theology, sin takes two forms, pride and sensuality. Already our hackles are raised because we are all supportive of pride-in ourselves, our families and children (and our grandchildren!), our nation, our human achievements. So the question is obvious: What's wrong with pride? And why should anyone think sensuality is a sin? Of course

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