Meet the Authors
David M. Felten (pictured at right in a black shirt) and Jeff Procter-Murphy (pictured at right holding a tablet) are United Methodist pastors who serve theologically progressive congregations. Together they created a video resource that brought together some of the “most provocative and authoritative voices” (p.xiii). Known as Living the Questions, this resource seeks to “help people wrestle with the questions they hear asked in their congregations – questions for which there are no easy answers but which stimulate exciting possibilities for practicing the Christian faith in the 21st century.” As the ministry has grown to reach nearly 6,000 local churches, Felten and Procter-Murphy have created additional resources including their first standalone book: Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity (2012).
Book Basics
Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity is the single simplest entry point for anyone seeking to better understand what it means to live as a progressive Christian in the early twenty-first century. It is ideal for a wide audience, including those who
- left the church or organized Christianity (whether or not they still dutifully attend worship services);
- assume the popular characterizations of conservative Christianity represent the views of all who follow the way of Jesus;
- are uncomfortable with religious environments that focus on answering rather than asking questions.
The book is comprised of portions of the written material from the Living the Questions 2.0 (LTQ) guidebook alongside additional wisdom from those featured on the DVD and from those who have struggled with the same issues over the centuries. It is arranged into three equal parts, each seven chapters in length. The general themes follow:
- Section 1: a general overview
- Section 2: restoring relationships
- Section 3: renewing Christian basics
Designed as an alternative to the videos and supplemental materials for group study, this book is well suited for personal study. Such study, however, would be enhanced by group discussion, which can be facilitated using the reader’s guide questions that accompany each chapter.
So What?
Most of the living writers featured in this text have been featured here on my blog recently, including Diana Butler Bass, John Dominic Crossan, Amy-Jill Levine, Brian McLaren, and John Shelby Spong. Progressive Christianity defies definition by the popular labels of what one must believe to be counted as being “in the group,” yet those who strive to understand it will readily identify it wherever they encounter it.
- How would you explain progressive Christianity to someone who was unfamiliar with it and/or had an inadequate understanding?
- List the names of those who have been most helpful to you in your own journey toward understanding progressive Christianity (be sure the list extends beyond authors and well known speakers to those in your congregation or known to you via other personal connections).
David M. Felten and Jeff Procter-Murphy. Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity (HarperOne, 2012). ISBN: 9780062109361.