Theology Thursday: What’s the difference between “conservative” and “progressive” theology?

Welcome to Theology Thursday! Theology is the study of God, his relation to the world, and our relation to him. I hope these newsletters help enhance your faith and deepen your love for God and his people, the church.

Today's question:
What's the difference between "conservative" and "progressive" theology?

Pastor Brady's thoughts:
In every generation, Christians find themselves asking how best to understand and faithfully live out the teachings of scripture. In that process, certain labels have emerged to describe different approaches to theology—among them “conservative” and “progressive” (or “liberal”). These terms can be helpful, but they are often misunderstood, and at times, too quickly tied to political categories that do not fully capture their meaning.

At their core, these labels describe how one approaches the authority and interpretation of the Bible.

Conservative theology begins with a posture of trust in the Bible as the inspired and authoritative word of God. It assumes that scripture is not merely a human reflection on divine things, but God’s revelation of himself to humanity. Because of this, conservatives tend to read the Bible with the conviction that its teachings are true, enduring, and binding across time and culture. When interpretation is needed - and it often is - the goal is to discern what the text meant in its original context and how that same truth applies today. The underlying instinct is preservation: to guard what has been handed down from Jesus to the apostles to the church.

Progressive or liberal theology, by contrast, often begins with a different set of assumptions. While it may still value scripture deeply, it tends to view the Bible as a product of its historical and cultural setting, shaped by human authors who were themselves limited by their time. As a result, progressive approaches are more open to reinterpreting or re-evaluating certain teachings in light of new thinking, cultural developments, or shifts in moral worldviews. The guiding instinct here is adaptation: to ensure that faith is relevant in a changing world.

These differing starting points lead to different logical paths.

If one believes that scripture speaks with enduring authority, then doctrinal continuity becomes essential. Teachings about God, sin, salvation, and ethics are not ours to reinvent, but truths to be received and lived out. Change, when it comes, must be careful and rooted in better understandings of the text itself, not from applying our feelings to manipulate the text. This tends to produce a theology that is stable, cautious, and anchored in historical Christian belief.
 
In other words, God meant what he said the first time, and we aren’t at liberty to change our minds or assume he has changed his.

If, however, one believes that scripture must be continually reinterpreted through the lens of present philosophy, then theology becomes more fluid. Doctrines and moral teachings may develop or adapt as new perspectives emerge. This can produce a theology that is more flexible and responsive, but also one that is less fixed in its conclusions.

In other words, the Bible itself may or may not contain timeless, binding truth. And either way, it is only useful to the extent that it comports with “my truth,” which I’ve arrived at based on my felt experience and inclinations. This most often shows up on the issues of sexual identity and same-sex relationships, social justice activism, and a skepticism (or outright rejection) of traditionally-held beliefs regarding the exclusive nature of salvation only through faith in Jesus Christ.

MCC, by just about any definition, I think, would accurately be described as a theologically conservative church. We are committed to the infallible and immutable teaching and modeling revealed to us in God’s word, and seek to teach and apply it faithfully, even when it challenges or contradicts our feelings and the winds of cultural change. Our human ability to perfectly interpret scripture is not infallible, of course, and we acknowledge we could be wrong or have an incomplete understanding about some of the debated matters of doctrine. But, we insist on faithful obedience to what we believe God has told us he wants for us. This makes us relatively theologically conservative (though, just like in politics, “conservative” and “progressive” or “liberal” are sliding scales - a spectrum affected by differing definitions and contexts).    

For the most part, non-denominational evangelical churches (such as MCC), Baptist churches, charismatic-leaning churches (such as the Assembly of God), Nazarene churches, the Presbyterian Church in America, Lutheran churches associated with the Missouri synod, and the newly formed Global Methodist Church are generally considered to adhere to a conservative theology.  

Denominations generally considered “progressive” or “liberal” in theological approach include the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Methodist Church, and the Disciples of Christ.
 
This doesn’t mean these groupings of church associations agree on everything, or even all important things. That is certainly not the case. It just means they share a similar starting place when it comes to the various facets of the faith and the business of the church.
 
It is important to say that neither approach is necessarily driven by bad motives. The difference lies not so much in intent, but in the weight given to scripture’s authority and how it is applied. This is an important difference - in many cases perhaps the difference between salvation and damnation. Next week, I will critique progressive theology, but I’m confident that many who hold progressive theological views sincerely desire to love others well and to remove what they see as unnecessary barriers to faith.

It is also worth noting that these theological categories do not map neatly onto political ones. A person may hold conservative theological convictions while expressing a wide range of political views, and the same is true in the other direction. The kingdom of God does not fit comfortably within our modern political labels, and we should be careful not to confuse the two.

For the Christian seeking clarity, the most important question is not which label fits best, but which approach most faithfully listens to and obeys God’s design and desire for human formation. Jesus himself said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” That simple statement reminds us that theology is not merely an intellectual exercise, it is a matter of trust and obedience.

In the end, our goal is not to win a category, but to know Christ, to hear his word clearly, and to walk in the light of his grace with humility and conviction.

TO KNOW GOD AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN!
- Pastor Brady

Have a question for Theology Thursday? Send an email to office@minierchristian.org and we'll respond, or we'll include in a future Theology Thursday Buffet.