jQuery Slider

You are here

Twelve Reasons Why Progressive Christianity Will Die Out

Twelve Reasons Why Progressive Christianity Will Die Out

Fr. Dwight Longenecker
January 19, 2016

The recent furore in the Anglican Communion has highlighted yet again the real division in world Christianity. The division is between Christian who, for want of a better term might be called "historic" Christians and those who are "progressive" Christians.



I realize that I paint with broad strokes, but the essential divide is recognizable, and believers on both sides should admit that "historic" and "progressive" Christians exist within all denominations. The real divide in Christianity is no longer Protestant and Catholic, but progressive and historic.

When I say "divide" I should say "battle" because both sides are locked in an interminable and unresolvable battle. Interminable because neither side will yield and unresolvable because the divisions extend the the theological and philosophical roots of both aspects.



1. Modernists deny supernaturalism and therefore they are not really religious. Now by "religion" I mean a transacton with the supernatural. Religion (whether it is primitive people jumping around a campfire or a Solemn High Mass in a Catholic Cathedral) is about an interchange with the other world. It is about salvation of souls, redemption of sin, heaven, hell damnation, the afterlife, angels and demons and all that stuff.

Progressives don't deal in all that. For them religion is a matter of fighting for equal rights, making the world a better place, being kind to everyone and "spirituality". It doesn't take very long for people to realize that you don't have to go to church for that. So people stop going, and that eventually means the death of progressive Christianity. The first generation of progressive Christians will attend church regularly. The second will attend church sometimes. The third almost never. The fourth and fifth will not see any need for worship. They will conclude that if religion is no more than good works, then the religious ritual is redundant...and they would be right.


3. Progressive Christianity is also subjective and sentimentalist. It eschews doctrine and favors individual spirituality and sentimental responses to doctrines and moral issues. It is not long, therefore, before the individualist and sentimentalist inclinations drive a person from a church that is dogmatic and demanding. Modernists will prefer their own spirituality and emotional experiences to any sort of formal, corporate religious commitment. Thus the modern admission, "I'm interested in spritituality but not religion." When this attitude prevails, modernist religion dies because it's devotees don't see the point of belonging and believing.



6. Progressive Christianity will die out because it makes no great demands for its devotees to be religious. Ask any modernist, "Why should I come to Church?" What would he answer? "You don't have to come to church. It's there if you want it. If it does you good, and makes you feel better, we're here to serve you." Modernist Catholic priests wring their hands and wonder why no one comes to Mass anymore. It's because for forty years they've been saying, "It's not really a mortal sin to miss Mass. You should come because you love God, not because you fear him." While this sentiment may be laudable, they shouldn't therefore be surprised if no one comes to Mass.

7. The progressive himself does not really understand why anyone should be religious. He started out as a religious man believing in sin, redemption and the supernaturalist story. He became modernist gradually and all the time continued his religious practice, but he has never stopped to ask why such a thing should be necessary. If he is honest and asks himself the question he will soon stop the practice of his religion too. Unless, of course, he is a clergyman. If he is a religious professional he would have to get another job, so it is easier to keep the show on the road.

8. Progressives allow for moral degeneracy and that saps the strength out of real religion. Devotees of all supernaturalist religions demand moral purity, self discipline and restraint. Real religion requires self discipline. The modernist sees religion not as self denial but self fulfillment. Hedonists will soon realize that religion--even in its watered down modernist form--is not worth the trouble.

Another aspect of this point is that progressive Christians use artificial contraception and endorse abortion. It's not rocket science to conclude that a population who stop having babies will soon die out.

9. The Church of the South is on the rise. Christianity is most vital in Africa, Asia and South America. The Christians there are both historic and modern. They're young, they're energetic and they follow a joyful and dynamic gospel. The African Anglicans moving to expel the Episcopalians is a hint of the future. Historic Christianity will rise up and defeat progressive Christianity simply because the first is authentic and the second is a counterfeit faith.

10. Progressives are dull and respectable. They used to think they were the radical ones, but they've gone grey and suburban and become part of the establishment. They always go with the crowd, especially if that crowd pretends to be "radical" or "subversive". Respectability is the kiss of death to real religion, and bourgeois radicalism is really the pits.

11. The Historic Christians are now the radicals. When the whole world becomes liberal it is the conservative who is the radical. When the whole world is wrapped in moral decadence chastity becomes radical. When the whole world is consumed with gluttony the one who fasts is radical. When the whole world is devoured by relativism the dogmatist is the radical. When the whole world is blinded by materialism it is the supernaturalist who is the radical. Christianity is only good news when it is radical and so it is the historic and heroic Christians who will prevail.

12. All Are Welcome...to leave. The irony is that their final, infallible dogma for progressives is that "all are welcome". They never stop to realize that a religion can only be a religion if it has boundaries. It's not a club if there are no membership rules and its not a church if there's no dogma or moral expectations. Consequently, while they cry happily, "This is a house of prayer for all people" it will increasingly be an empty house of prayer for no people. The doors of the progressive churches may be wide open...but that's so the people can get out as soon as possible.


comments powered by Disqus
Trinity School for Ministry
Go To Top