The Bible, a rich tapestry of ancient texts, holds a dual role in our contemporary world. On one hand, it stands as the bedrock of Christian faith, shaping its beliefs and practices for millennia. Yet, on the other hand, its Bronze-Age morality increasingly faces scrutiny, prompting many, including progressive Christians, to distance themselves from its problematic aspects. While the Bible may still make appearances in liturgy and homilies, its status as the primary source of inspiration and theology is fading among progressive believers.
This inclination to turn away from Scripture, with its need for constant disclaimers, inadvertently grants conservatives and traditionalists a free rein over the Bible's vast cultural authority. They continue to perpetuate versions of Christianity that, despite being divisive, carry the powerful claim of being "Biblical."
However, it is essential for progressive Christians to remember that the Bible emerged from the voices of an oppressed and marginalized people, intended to empower and uplift those facing adversity. While the moral compass of 2,000 years ago necessitates periodic reevaluation, progressives can reframe the Bible as the subversive, pro-liberation document it once was. By doing so, we can wrest the Scriptures from those who wield them as weapons and harness their inherent authority to advocate for a more just and compassionate Christian faith in our modern era.
An inspiring example of this reinterpretation is evident in some Jewish communities that I have spent time with in New York, where innovative and progressive approaches to Biblical texts have flourished. These communities revere the text while embracing the freedom to reinterpret it, giving voice to previously silenced characters, imagining unheard perspectives, and aligning the text with contemporary ethics and spirituality. For them, the Bible serves as a foundation, but not as the final word on matters of faith and ethics. It becomes a resource chest, a medium for healing and intrigue in the lives of modern believers.
Although similar engagement with Scripture exists within Christian academic circles, such as liberation theology, womanist theology, and queer theology, it rarely finds its way into local churches. Instead, even progressive congregations often adhere to conservative Biblical exegesis, denying themselves the freedom to reevaluate, reform, and rejuvenate the Bible's narratives and teachings for the modern world. This disconnect results in many progressive laypeople having minimal engagement with the Bible, further ceding ground to conservative Biblical interpretations in the public sphere. Consequently, we lose touch with our ancient tradition and miss the opportunity to be shaped by the profound power of Scripture, leaving much of progressive Christianity adrift without a clear connection to the text and tradition it claims to uphold.
My point in this article is simple: to encourage disillusioned or uninspired progressives to engage with Scripture imaginatively and artistically, restoring the Bible to the core of our understanding of Christian faith. We must approach the text in a "midrashic" way, engaging in dialogue with our faith ancestors, unearthing the silenced voices of marginalized groups within the Bible, and continuing to write the story of Scripture in our modern era. The United Church of Christ's campaign, "God is still speaking," encapsulates the message we need in our world today.
The Bible represents the "voice of God" filtered through the finite perspectives of our ancient ancestors. It invites us to draw upon its wisdom and flaws as a foundation while embracing new revelations of God in our modern era. We can bring to light the voices of women, ethnic minorities, religious minorities, queer individuals, and others in the Bible, allowing them to speak afresh to the modern church. This may entail agreements or disagreements with the voices in Scripture as we know it. We can reimagine the beliefs and faith expressions of the communities to whom Paul wrote, granting them the same authority traditionally ascribed to the Apostle, thus creating an inspiring, inclusive understanding of Christianity through the ages.
Most importantly, this approach will anchor our faith in a collection of writings still revered by billions worldwide. It empowers us to counteract the misuse of Christian faith for harmful purposes, effectively wielding the Bible's "two-edged sword" (Ephesians 6) to promote healing and inspiration while opposing the weaponization of Scripture by those in positions of privilege and power. In doing so, we uphold the true witness of Christ in our modern world.
I think there are some excellent points here.
One other point I would offer is that it would be helpful to progressive community is to have a good study Bible to use, that in the context of the various passages explains some of these issues. An example is the so-called clobber passages relating the views on the LGBTQIA+ community. While there are numerous separate books that cover the “progressive” view on these, I have a yet to find a published study Bible that covers this view right in the context of the passages themselves. The study Bibles I have or have seen, generally take the conservative evangelical view of the passages. I think if there were a study bible that covers many of the “progressive” views on various passages it would help many.