EARTHKEEPING NEWS A NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COALITION FOR CHRISTIANITY AND ECOLOGY Volume Eleven, Number Five July/August 2002 THE CENTER FOR PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY CONVENES CONFERENCE by Greg Todd Held in the newly renovated Episcopal Cathedral of Phildelphia, this annual conference of The Center for Progressive Christianity (TCPC) was a joy to attend. If you, like me, a forwarding-looking Christian, feel somewhat like a fish out of water, then this event would really have appealed to you. Here in one place were eighty or so vocal "out" progressive Christians, ready and able to talk about the challenges faced by folks who are literate and educated and willing to acknowledge publicly their Christian identity. The first breakout group I attended, led by TCPC president, Rev. James Adams, TCPC, had somewhat the feel of an AA meeting. Each of the twenty or so present sheepishly admitted their weakness for the Christian religion and shared their tales of woe in getting along with both non-Christian and mainstream Christian friends. A leader in the progressive Christian movement, Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong, was the keynote speaker. Author of over fifteen books with titles such as "Why Christians Must Change Or Die" and "Rescuing the Bible From Fundamentalism," Bishop Spong gave two stirring talks. His main theme was that progressive Christians must begin to reclaim the Bible and Christ from fundamentalist hijackers. He suggested we do this by studying the historical context of Jesus to better understand the meaning and power of his acts. The fear and hostility engendered by the word "Christian" among main stream folks has a chilling effect on our work as environmentalist Christians. Study of the TPCP approach may well help overcome this impediment. For more information on The Center for Progressive Christianity, visit their website: www.tcpc.org. GUEST EDITOR Gregory Todd, MBA, is Marketing Director of BEC New Communities housing organization. A member of the Park Slope United Methodist Church, Brooklyn NY and an NACCE Board member, Greg and his wife Nellie Bright have been experimenting with various forms of local circles for a number of years. He welcomes comments on your experiences. He may be reached at gntodd@cs.com. Home     Table of Contents