Product Description

A new kind of Christianity is emerging at the grass roots. Full of heart-felt expression, artistic creativity, and liberal social values, progressive churches and small Christian communities have established themselves across the denominational spectrum. Reporting on a national research study that undercuts the impression that right-wing Christianity is the only new development on the contemporary American religious landscape, Hal Taussig identifies thousands of progressive churches and para-churches and describes five characteristics of this new movement. He then proceeds to analyze its blind spots, project its future, and suggest how to start a progressive church.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #657928 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 204 pages

Review
A remarkably informing, encouraging, and exiting description of an emerging progressive Christianity. -- Marcus Borg, author of "The Heart of Christianity"

Essential reading for anyone interested in religion in the US today. ... this book is a real find. -- Karen King, Harvard University

Here are the signs of a new religious hope in the increasingly barren religious landscape of America. -- John Shelby Spong, Episcopal Bishop Emeritus of Newark, New Jersey

About the Author
Hal Taussig is Visiting Professor of New Testament at Union Theological Seminary in New York. He is also co-pastor at the Chestnut Hill United Methodist Church.

Customer Reviews

Valuable vital coverage of a new christian trend!
Taussig has focussed on a very important trend in christianity, presented how valuable it is, and still did not offer too much hope of a quick and massive adoption. It will take intellectually alive people to join this development. His characterization of these people and their churches a clear and highly useful summary that includes terminogy such as "intellectual integrity" by which he means that intellectual progress makes a difference in the concept of God that believers can accept. His emphasis on being inclusive of a wide diversity of personal beliefs and life styles hits the crux of the problem that vexes mainline denominations for which that he gives data to describe their continuing decline.
I found the first half of the book to be fascinating while the later parts were less stimulating. On the whole, however, I rate the book as an valuable treatise on develops within 21st-century christianity. Whether you agree with him or not, you are well advised to listen to what he has to say and re-consider your theological position and analyze the practices ot your own faith community. It is vitally important that young people who are tempted to throw over christianity as they learn about science to read this book carefully. It is for this reason that the book struck such a strong affinity with me. I've wrestled with these issues all my life and written about them in my own book.

A Fabulous Book, But....
I can have nothing but priase for this book,until he implicitly suggests that down the road, all progressive Christians get together in one denomination with a "right theology." He does not accept people with conservative theologies. To me he is not inclusive of these Christians. Otherwise I find what he says is right on. He has clarified my thinking in how to classify my own theology.

Great!
A must have for all Progressive Christians.Lots of details without being dogmatic.I got a great deal out of it and it lead me to several wonderful resources.Well done.