Part of the series on Christianity

History of Christianity Apostles Ecumenical councils Great Schism Reformation Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament writings of his early followers. ... image of a Latin cross. ... This article outlines the history of Christianity and provides links to relevant topics. ... Alternate meaning: See Apostle (Mormonism) The Christian Apostles were Jewish men chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth (as indicated by the Greek word απόστολος apostolos= messenger), by Jesus to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, across the world. ... In Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, an ecumenical council is a meeting of the bishops of the whole church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. ... The East-West Schism, known also as the Great Schism (though this latter term sometimes refers to the later Western Schism), was the event that divided Chalcedonian Christianity into Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ...

Christian theology Salvation · Grace Christian worship Christian theology practices theology from a Christian viewpoint or studies Christianity theologically. ... Salvation refers to deliverance from some undesirable state or condition. ... Divine grace is a Christian term for gifts granted to humanity by God, that God is under no need or obligation to grant. ... In Christianity, worship has been considered by most Christians to be the central act of Christian identity throughout Christian history. ...

The Bible: Old Testament New Testament Apocrypha The Gospels Ten Commandments Sermon on the Mount The Bible (From Greek βιβλια—biblia, meaning books, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported papyrus) is the sacred scripture of Christianity. ... The Old Testament or the Hebrew Scriptures (also called the Hebrew Bible) constitutes the first major part of the Bible according to Christianity. ... The New Testament, sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written after the birth of Jesus. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Deuterocanonical books. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... The Ten Commandments on a monument in the grounds of the Texas State Capitol This 1768 parchment (612x502 mm) by Jekuthiel Sofer emulated 1675 decalogue at the Esnoga synagogue of Amsterdam The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, are a list of religious and moral imperatives that feature prominently in Judaism and... The Sermon on the Mount was, according to the Gospel of Matthew, a particular sermon given by Jesus of Nazareth around 30 CE on a mountainside to his disciples and a large crowd (Matt. ...

Christian Church: Catholicism Orthodox Christianity Protestantism The term Christian Church expresses the idea of Christianity (the Christian religion) seen in its role as an institution. ... This article considers Catholicism in the broadest ecclesiastical sense. ... Orthodox Christianity typically comprises those Christian traditions which are centered in eastern philosophy, as opposed to those traditions centered in the west. ... Protestantism is a movement within Christianity, representing a split from the Roman Catholic Church during the mid to late Renaissance in Europe —a period known as the Protestant Reformation. ... Christian denominations Christian movements Christian ecumenism A denomination in the Christian sense is an identifiable religious body, organization under a common name, structure, and/or doctrine. ... Christian movements are theological, political, or philosophical intepretations of Christianity that are not generally represented by a specific church, sect, or denomination. ... Christian ecumenism is the promotion of unity or cooperation between distinct religious groups or denominations of the Christian religion, more or less broadly defined. ...

The Center for Progressive Christianity (TCPC) was founded in 1996 by a retired Episcopalian priest, James Adams, in Cambridge, MA. It currently represents the most liberal established Christian group within Christianity. It is not a religious denomination. Rather it is a network of affiliated congregations, informal groups, and individuals. 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The word Episcopal is derived from the Greek επισκοπος epískopos, which literally means overseer; the word however is used in religious terms to mean bishop. ... smilez* :] ... City Hall - Cambridge MA Cambridge is a city in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament writings of his early followers. ... Note that this kind of denomination is not that of a coin or banknote. ... A congregation is a group of people gathered together. ...

Mission

The mission of The Center for Progressive Christianity is:

• "To reach out to those for whom organized religion has proved ineffectual, irrelevant, or repressive, as well as to those who have given up on or are unacquainted with it."
• "To uphold evangelism as an agent of justice and peace."
• "To give a strong voice both in the churches and the public arena to the advocates of progressive Christianity."
• "To support those who embrace the search, not certainty."

Members

What kind of people are attracted to Progressive Christianity? Progressive Christianity casts a very broad tent. All people are welcome as affiliates. Their fourth point invites: "....all people to participate in our community and worship life without insisting that they become like us in order to be acceptable (including but not limited to): believers and agnostics, conventional Christians and questioning skeptics, women and men, those of all sexual orientations and gender identities, those of all races and cultures, those of all classes and abilities, those who hope for a better world and those who have lost hope." Most affiliates probably view religious belief as a process -- a searching for truth rather than establishing truth. Most are probably liberal Christians or post-Christians who stress justice and tolerance above creedal beliefs.

They include people who:

• Are repelled by exclusivist beliefs.
• reject the concept that only their branch of their religion has the entire monopoly on truth and that all other spiritual paths are in error.
• Pass beyond biblical inerrancy, established creeds, and church dogma, they recognize, as author Jack Good has written: "the fingerprints of humankind on all religious documents and symbols." 3
• Value the search for truth, even though it can never be fully possessed. They view it as more important and challenging than the acceptance of those fixed beliefs found in the past by others and imbedded in church creeds.
• Who are, as Jack Good describes, "chaos tolerant:" They can handle a degree of disorder, uncertainty, and ambiguity in life and want to be "partners in the exciting search for tentative but satisfying answers to the most pressing problems of existence."
• Believe in the Ethic of Reciprocity: that how we treat other people is more important than the specifics of what we believe about God, humanity and the rest of the universe.
• Have the ability to absorb rapid change in their beliefs, as they integrate findings from social and physical sciences.

The website gives an analogy that symbolizes the methodology of the Progressive Christianity movement. It involves a Sunday school teacher and a class of 9 or 10-year-olds. Even at that age, some were skeptical of the inerrancy of the Bible. They felt that many events recorded in the Bible never happened. Rather then try to convince the children otherwise, the teacher suggested that they read Charlotte's Web instead -- an enduring story of a bashful pig named Wilbur who befriended a spider named Charlotte. The class enjoyed the book. After some great discussions, the teacher interjected the thought that pigs and spiders cannot talk. The kids protested: "Well, it's a story." The teacher asked whether the story was true. They decided that it was sort of true. "In a way, it was true." So the teacher suggested: "All right, well let's look at the Bible in the same way." 4 Parts of this article contradict each other. ... Charlottes Web book cover Charlottes Web is a childrens book by acclaimed American author E. B. White. ...

For the movement's founder, James Adams, "such open-ended and searching conversations are at the heart of what it means to be religious. They are the very thing he hopes to foster through the work of his small, but visionary organization. Education is at the core of the Center’s work, but it is a vision of education that calls for open-ended conversation, the use of scholarship and intellectual gifts, as well as personal experience and emotion." smilez* :] ...

Eight Points

These are a series of ideas that describe the TCPC's approach to Christianity. 5 It is not a statement of faith or creed. It is more a description of how Progressive Christians approach life. They are paraphrased for brevity and to avoid copyright conflicts:

• Focus: The teachings and life of Jesus provide them with a path to God.
• Pluralism: They recognize that others follow their own paths to God which are equally true for them.
• Communion: They view the sharing of bread and wine in Jesus' name to represent "an ancient vision of God's feast for all peoples."
• Inclusivity: All are welcome to become involved; persons of all genders, sexual orientations, traditions, races, etc.
• Reciprocity: How we treat others is the "fullest expression" of our beliefs.
• Search: They find more grace in searching for truth than in accepting certainty.
• Community: They form communities to support each other in their quest for peace, justice, a restored environment, and to provide hope.
• Cost: Following Jesus involves a personal investment in "selfless love, conscientious resistance to evil, and renunciation of privilege."

The Progressive Christian symbol is an eight-pointed star, representing the eight ideas that they hold in common. This 11th-century portrait is one of many images of Jesus in which a halo with a cross is used. ...

More Information

The Progressive Christianity Website provides access to all of the Progressive Christianity web sites. It links to web sites in Britain, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Australia and the United States. Motto: United for the Common Wealth Nickname: Festival State Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Government Governor Premier Const. ...