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Progressive Links
The Center for Progressive Christianity
Open Circle is affiliate with The Center for Progressive Christianity (TCPC). TCPC
provides guiding ideas, networking opportunities, and resources for
progressive churches, organizations, individuals and others with
connections to Christianity.
They promote an understanding of
Christian practice and teaching that leads to a greater concern for
the way people treat each other than for the way people express their
beliefs, the acceptance of all people, and a respect for other
religious traditions.
They affirm the variety and depth of
human experience and the richness of each persons' search for
meaning, and we encourage the use of sound scholarship, critical
inquiry, and all intellectual powers to understand the presence of
God in human life.
They are opposed to any exclusive dogma
that limits the search for truth and free inquiry, and we encourage
work that eases the pain, suffering and degradation inherent in many
of the structures of society, as well as work that keeps central to
the Christian life fair, open, peaceful, and loving treatment of all
human beings.
To view the 8 points of TCPC's progressive Christiantiy click here.
The Jesus Seminar
The Jesus Seminar was organized under
the auspices of the Westar Institute to renew the quest of the
historical Jesus and to report the results of its research to more
than a handful of gospel specialists. At its inception in 1985,
thirty scholars took up the challenge. Eventually more than two
hundred professionally trained specialists, called Fellows, joined
the group. The Seminar meets twice a year to debate technical papers
that have been prepared and circulated in advance. At the close of
debate on each agenda item, Fellows of the Seminar vote, using
colored beads to indicate the degree of authenticity of Jesus' words
or deeds. Dropping colored beads into a box has become a trademark of
the Seminar.
Westar Institute is a member-supported,
non-profit research and educational institute dedicated to the
advancement of religious literacy. Westar's twofold mission is to
foster collaborative research in religious studies and to communicate
the results of the scholarship of religion to a broad, non-specialist
public.
Until a few years ago, essential
knowledge about biblical and religious traditions was hidden in the
windowless studies of universities and seminaries—away from the
general public. Such research was considered too controversial or too
complicated for lay persons to understand. Many scholars, fearing
open conflict or even reprisal, talked only to one another. The
churches often decided what information their constituents were
"ready" to hear.
Through publications, educational
programs, and research projects like the Jesus Seminar, Westar has
opened up a new kind of conversation about religion. This is an
honest, no-hold-barred exchange involving thousands of scholars,
clergy and other individuals who have critical questions about the
past, present and future of religion.
The Network of Spiritual Progressives
The Network of Spiritual Progressives
was founded based on three basic tenets: 1) Changing the Bottom Line
in America; 2) Challenging the Misuse of Religion, God and Spirit by
the Religious Right; 3) Challenging the Many Anti-Religious and
Anti-Spiritual Assumptions and Behaviors That Have Increasingly
Become Part of the Liberal Culture.
Gaychurch.org
Gaychurch.org is a web site dedicated
to ministering to the gay and lesbian Christian community (GLBT) and
to the friends of our community. The site features one of the largest
gay Christian bulletin boards and gay "welcoming" Christian
church directories in the world. A large section of the site is
dedicated to articles pertinent to reconciling ones faith with their
sexual orientation ("Gay and Christian?").!
PFLAG
PFLAG promotes the health and
well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, their
families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse
society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and
advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights.
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays provides
opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender
identity, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful
of human diversity. The Twin Cities Chapter Website can be found here.
Outfront MN
OutFront Minnesota's mission is to make
our home a place where GLBT Minnesotans have the freedom, power, and
confidence to make the best choices for their own lives. OutFront
Minnesota delivers programs and services to the GLBT and allied
communities in the areas of public policy, advocacy, education and
training, anti-violence, schools, and the law.
Voices for an Open Spirit
VOS is a grassroots movement in the Church of
the Brethren fostering openness and inclusion, building bridges, and
seeking common ground.
BMC
Brethren Mennonite Council seeks to provide programming,
support and advocacy for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
individuals and their families and friends in the Mennonite Church
USA and Canada and Church of the Brethren.
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