In the context of the Churches of Christ, “progressive” is often used to refer to Christians who reject much of Church of Christ theology of the 20th Century, coming much closer to the teachings of the founders of the Restoration Movement — the Campbells and Barton W. Stone — and to current evangelical thought. I’m progressive in this sense. There is no progressive creed and there’s considerable diversity within the progressive camp. Some are simply beginning to question the old theology. Others have a well-developed theology of grace that radically differs from 20th Century legalism. The main difference between a Church of Christ conservative and progressive is their understanding of grace. A member of the Churches of Christ who considers such questions as instrumental music and the frequency of taking the Lord’s Supper to be salvation issues is conservative. A member who sees these as within God’s grace is progressive.
