Progressive Christian scholar Marcus Borg served as the Hundere Chair of Religion and Culture in the Philosophy Department at Oregon State University until his retirement in 2007. He is the author of numerous books, including
- Evolution of the Word: The New Testament in the Order the Books Were Written (my review)
- Speaking Christian: Why Christian Words Have Lost Their Meaning and Power –And How They Can Be Restored (my review)
- Putting Away Childish Things: A Tale of Modern Faith (my review)
In the following video, Borg names three of the greatest strengths of the United Church of Christ:
- historic thoughtfulness – strong intellectual heritage
- historic inclusiveness – trailblazing commitment to full standing for gay and lesbian people
- utter freedom to create new forms of worship
So What?
The United Church of Christ is a denomination with the understanding that while its faith is 2000 years old, its thinking is not. Based on what you know of the United Church of Christ:
- Do you agree with the strengths Borg lists? Why or why not?
- What additional strength or strengths do you see in the denomination?
- What unique contributions to Christianity do you believe the United Church of Christ has or likely will make?
For more on this topic, consider my piece noting John Shelby Spong’s understanding of the unique vocation of the United Church of Christ.