SOAP 2/21 - A Hymn of Love (1 Cor 13.1-13)

SOAP 2/21

A Hymn of Love

1 Corinthians 13.1-13

by R.E. Slater & ChatGPT 5

For the next 21 days, let's commit to feeding yourself spiritually by reading and reflecting on a passage of Scripture each day using the S.O.A.P. method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer). Keep a brief daily note of what you learn and how you might apply it, and at the end of the 21 days, share your biggest takeaway with someone else. 

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A Hymn of Love

1 Corinthians 13:1–13

Paul interrupts his teaching on spiritual gifts with this lyrical chapter, lifting love (agapē) above every gift, act of service, or form of knowledge. Sometimes called the “crown jewel” of his letters, it is both poetry and theology, reminding the Church that love is the essence of faith and the eternal bond with God.

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1 Corinthians 13:1–13 (NASB95)

1 If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

2 If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

3 And if I give away all my possessions to charity, and if I surrender my body so that I may glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.

4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant.

5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered,

6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with.

9 For we know in part and prophesy in part;

10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with.

11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known.

13 But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

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Historical Situation

Paul wrote 1 Corinthians around AD 53–55 while in Ephesus, addressing the young Corinthian church marked by division, rivalry, and misuse of spiritual gifts. Corinth was a wealthy, cosmopolitan city - known for trade, cultural diversity, and moral looseness - where status and eloquence were prized. The believers had become enamored with spectacular gifts like tongues and prophecy, but lacked unity, humility, and love.

Paul places this “hymn of love” in the middle of his larger discussion of spiritual gifts (chapters 12–14) to remind them that without love, all gifts are empty noise. The chapter is not abstract poetry but a corrective to their competitive spirit: love is the true measure of spiritual maturity, surpassing eloquence, knowledge, and even heroic sacrifice.

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Observation through Three Lenses

1. Traditional (Catholic / Orthodox / Protestant Mainstream)

This chapter is the “hymn of love”—the summit of Pauline teaching and a pinnacle of Christian Scripture. It is often read at weddings, funerals, and Eucharistic services, for it expresses the very heart of the faith. Spiritual gifts, though prized in Corinth, are relativized against the permanence of love. Love (agapē) is God’s own self-giving poured into human hearts (Romans 5:5), the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10), and the perfection of all virtues. For the Fathers, this passage teaches theosis: to grow in love is to grow in God, for “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Faith and hope guide us in this life, but love alone carries into eternity, binding humanity forever to God and to one another.

2. Evangelical (Conservative Protestant)

Evangelicals hear this chapter as both warning and summons. Without love, even the most zealous Christian activity—preaching, sacrifice, generosity, or suffering—becomes worthless. Paul contrasts flashy spiritual gifts (tongues, prophecy, knowledge) with the deeper reality of Christlike love. Love here is not sentimental emotion but covenantal, sacrificial love demonstrated supremely at the cross and poured into believers by the Spirit. The text becomes a call to spiritual maturity: to walk in the Spirit, bear the fruit of love (Galatians 5:22), and measure faith not by outward acts or doctrinal correctness but by the practice of love.

3. Process Theological (Relational, Whiteheadian)

Process theology recognizes in this chapter the voice of a relational cosmos woven together by love. Love is not merely a virtue to be practiced but the very lure of God animating every moment of becoming. Where Paul contrasts “partial” knowledge with the fullness to come, process thought hears the ongoing unfolding of divine relationality: God is always offering more truth, more beauty, more depth of love. Love is not static perfection but dynamic creativity, guiding existence toward greater harmony, novelty, and beauty. “Love never fails” because it is the eternal texture of reality’s becoming—the creative advance of God’s presence that outlasts prophecy, tongues, knowledge, and even history itself.

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Application through Three Lenses

1. Traditional (Catholic / Orthodox / Protestant Mainstream)

Am I living a life of virtue shaped by caritas? The sacraments, prayers, and devotions I practice must be infused with love, or they become empty forms. Growth in love is growth in God, and every act of piety or service prepares me for deeper union with Him in eternity. My call is to allow love to saturate not just my actions but the very orientation of my soul.

2. Evangelical (Conservative Protestant)

Does my discipleship bear the marks of Christlike love? My words, service, and sacrifices are meaningless if not motivated by the Spirit’s love. This chapter confronts my pride, selfishness, and impatience, calling me to repentance and renewal. True maturity is not measured by knowledge or zeal, but by a Spirit-filled life where love is the fruit, the evidence, and the goal of faith in Jesus.

3. Process Theological (Relational, Whiteheadian)

Do my relationships reflect God’s ongoing lure toward harmony and beauty? Each moment is an opportunity to co-create with God: to embody patience, kindness, and truth in lived encounters. Love becomes not only an ethic but a participation in the creative advance of the world toward greater wholeness. By leaning into love as the deepest structure of reality, I align myself with God’s eternal invitation to renew, transform, and heal the world.

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Prayer

God of abiding love, remind me that all gifts, works, and knowledge fade without love. Teach me to live in love through the rhythms of worship, the practice of discipleship, and the unfolding creativity of your world. May my life become a small reflection of your eternal love that never fails, a living witness of patience, kindness, and truth. Amen.

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SOAP 1/21 - Of Partiality & Tongues (James 2 & 3)

SOAP 1/21

Of Partiality & Tongues

James 2 & 3

by R.E. Slater & ChatGPT 5

For the next 21 days, let's commit to feeding yourself spiritually by reading and reflecting on a passage of Scripture each day using the S.O.A.P. method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer). Keep a brief daily note of what you learn and how you might apply it, and at the end of the 21 days, share your biggest takeaway with someone else.

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Favoritism & Mercy

James 2:1–13

James warns against favoritism in the assembly of believers, contrasting the treatment of the rich and the poor. He teaches that showing partiality is sin and contradicts the “royal law” of loving one’s neighbor as oneself. He reminds the community that mercy triumphs over judgment.

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James 2.1-13

2 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

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Historical Situation

James, likely the brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem church, wrote in the mid-first century (around AD 45–62) to Jewish-Christian communities scattered outside Palestine. These believers were facing economic hardship, social tension, and persecution, yet were also tempted by worldly values of wealth and status.

In James 2:1–13, the issue is partiality in the assembly. Wealthy visitors were being given seats of honor while the poor were shamed or pushed aside. In a society where status determined value, James insists that in God’s kingdom such favoritism is sin. He roots his teaching in the “royal law” (love your neighbor as yourself, Lev. 19:18), reminding the church that mercy, not social hierarchy, is the true reflection of God’s character. This passage confronts the early church’s struggle to live out radical equality in Christ.

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Three Lenses

1. Traditional (Catholic/Orthodox/Protestant mainstream)

2. Evangelical (conservative Protestant)

3. Process Theological (relational, Whiteheadian)

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Three Observations

1. Traditional Lens

• Theme: Justice and impartiality in the community of faith.

• Focus: God shows no favoritism; therefore, Christians must embody divine impartiality. The “royal law” is love of neighbor, rooted in Christ’s teaching.

• Insight: The passage critiques worldly hierarchies (wealth, power) that invade the Church, calling believers to holiness in community life.

2. Evangelical Lens

• Theme: Faith must be lived out in practical love.

• Focus: Showing favoritism reveals a heart not aligned with Christ. The passage highlights sin not only in overt immorality but also in subtle relational failures.

• Insight: Evangelicals often stress that this text demonstrates the inseparability of faith and works—authentic saving faith expresses itself in active, impartial love.

3. Process Theological Lens

• Theme: Relational equality and co-creation.

• Focus: Favoritism fractures the relational harmony God lures us toward. Every person is an actual occasion of value, carrying divine worth. To dismiss or dishonor the poor is to deny God’s lure toward justice and inclusive love.

• Insight: Process thought reframes this passage as an invitation to align ourselves with the divine call to maximize value and beauty in relational community. Mercy “triumphs” because mercy is the very mode of God’s persuasive power in the world.

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Three Applications

1. Traditional

• Call: Examine whether the Church today unconsciously imitates worldly hierarchies (wealth, status, influence).

• Action: Commit to practices of hospitality, charity, and equal dignity in worship and governance.

2. Evangelical

• Call: Let faith be proven in impartial love.

• Action: Personally practice generosity and humility—seek out the marginalized, offer friendship without regard for status, and proclaim that Christ’s gospel equalizes all people before God.

3. Process Theological

• Call: Cultivate communities of co-creative justice and mercy.

• Action: Actively dismantle systems of favoritism (racism, classism, sexism) within church and society. Live as agents of God’s lure toward relational beauty, where mercy builds sustainable, inclusive futures.

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A Prayer

“God of mercy and love,
You show no favoritism, but welcome each of us as beloved children.
Forgive us when we honor the powerful and overlook the poor.
Open our eyes to see Christ in every neighbor.
Lure us toward mercy, that our communities may reflect your kingdom.
May we live in your royal law of love,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

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Speech & Wisdom

James 3:1–18

James warns about the power of the tongue: though small, it can steer great things or cause destruction. Words can bless or curse, but believers are called to wisdom that is pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy, impartial, and sincere.

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James 3.1-18

Taming the Tongue

3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Wisdom from Above

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

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Historical Situation

James continues addressing Jewish-Christian congregations marked by conflict, rivalry, and sharp speech. In the honor-shame culture of the first century, teachers and leaders carried great influence, and disputes often broke out over authority and status. Many sought positions of teaching, but not all had the maturity or discipline to guide others faithfully.

James 3:1–18 warns that the tongue, though small, can unleash great destruction. Gossip, slander, and divisive speech were tearing communities apart that were already under pressure from the surrounding cultures. In contrast, true wisdom from above (heaven) produces peace, gentleness, and mercy. The historical backdrop is a church wrestling with how to embody wisdom in a hostile culture while avoiding internal strife. James presents a picture of wisdom rooted not in clever words or social standing but in humility, purity, and peaceable conduct.

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Three Lenses

1. Traditional (Catholic/Orthodox/Protestant mainstream)

2. Evangelical (conservative Protestant)

3. Process Theological (relational, Whiteheadian)

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Three Observations

1. Traditional Lens

• Theme: The moral responsibility of speech.

• Focus: The tongue reflects the heart; Christians must cultivate virtue and self-control. Wisdom from above is a gift of grace, shaping both speech and life.

• Insight: Patristic and scholastic traditions stress the alignment of one’s words with one’s inner moral life. Speech is sacramental: it can convey blessing or judgment.

2. Evangelical Lens

• Theme: Practical holiness in daily life.

• Focus: Authentic faith is proven by how we speak. Words reveal the depth of our walk with Christ. God calls us to speak truth with love, resisting gossip, slander, and careless speech.

• Insight: Evangelicals emphasize Scripture memorization and Spirit-filled living as disciplines that transform speech into edification rather than destruction.

3. Process Theological Lens

• Theme: Relational power of words.

• Focus: Every utterance is an actual occasion with creative power. Speech participates in shaping reality; it can build relational harmony or fracture it. Wisdom from above is the lure toward peace, justice, and flourishing.

• Insight: Process thought reframes the tongue not just as moral discipline but as a creative event in the web of becoming. To speak mercifully is to co-create with God toward beauty; to speak destructively is to diminish the value of the whole.

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Three Applications

1. Traditional

• Call: Cultivate virtues of humility, patience, and self-control in speech.

• Action: Practice confession, prayer, and silence as disciplines that train the tongue. Align speech with the wisdom of Christ and the teaching of the Church.

2. Evangelical

• Call: Guard your words as a witness of genuine faith.

• Action: Use speech for encouragement, gospel proclamation, and building up the body of Christ. Seek accountability within community when speech falls short.

3. Process Theological

• Call: Recognize speech as a relational act that shapes the common good.

• Action: Speak in ways that generate trust, healing, and justice. Foster communities where conversation itself is sacramental — a co-creative act with God toward relational beauty.

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A Prayer

God of wisdom and truth,
You have given us tongues to bless and build, not to wound or destroy.
Forgive us for words spoken in haste or anger.
Guide us into wisdom that is pure, peaceable, and full of mercy.
Help our speech become a stream of your love,
So that our words may heal, strengthen, and bring life to others.
Through Jesus Christ, Word made flesh. Amen.

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Process Theology and the Apostle's Creed - 26 Podcasts & Audio Casts

click to enlarge

Process Theology and the Apostle's Creed

by Tripp Fuller

December 28, 2020

Big God Questions #1

Jan 27, 2021

Becoming Christian #1: 'I believe' & 'in God'

Feb 1, 2021

Becoming Christian #2: "Father" & "Almighty"

Feb 8, 2021

Big God Questions #2

Feb 11, 2021

Becoming Christian Session #3

Feb 15, 2021

Becoming Christian #4: "Born of a Virgin" & "Suffered..."

 Feb 22, 2021

~~ BONUS FUN w/ Bethany & Curtis ~~

Bethany is super cool

Feb 25, 2021

I like Curtis

 Feb 25, 2021

Becoming Christian Session 5: descending and ascending

Mar 1, 2021

Becoming Christian Session 6

Mar 8, 2021

Becoming Christian #7

Mar 15, 2021 

3/17 Big God Questions #3 (audio)

Session 8 - March 21, 2021

3/22 "Forgiveness" & "Life Everlasting"

Session 9

* * * * * * * * * *

Open and Relational Theology

Tripp & Tom’s Previous Reading Group Sessions

Clark Pinnock for Reading Group.docx	3/4/2019 12:55 pm
Fletcher.pdf	3/18/2019 10:27 pm
Fretheim for Open and Relational Reading Group.doc	3/4/2019 12:55 pm
ORT Fletcher - An irresistible power not ourselves .pdf	3/4/2019 12:51 pm
ORT Ward - THE FUTURE OF LIBERAL THEOLOGY .pdf	3/4/2019 12:50 pm
ORT Ward - the trinity.pdf	3/4/2019 12:50 pm
Pinnock - Constrained by love_ divine self-restraint accord…o open theism .pdf	3/4/2019 1:07 pm
Polkinghorne Reader material for reading group.doc	3/4/2019 12:58 pm
Suchocki - The Trouble with Sin_ Original Sin Revisited'.pdf	3/4/2019 12:52 pm
Suchocki-Trinity.pdf	3/4/2019 12:52 pm
Suffering God and Sovereign God in Exodus - Fretheim.pdf	2/12/2019 3:22 pm
Ward.pdf

ORT on Fretheim w/ Tom Oord and Tripp Fuller

Feb 23, 2019

Tom Oord & Tripp

Feb 23, 2019

Tom and Tripp talk about Marjorie Suchocki #ProcessTheology

 Feb 23, 2019

Tom Oord and Tripp Fuller talk Sir. John Polkinghorne

Mar 3, 2019

Tom Oord and Tripp Fuller talk about Keith Ward

Mar 3, 2019

Open and Relational Theology Group:

Tom and Tripp talk Karen Baker-Fletcher

Mar 8, 2019

Processual Critique of "The Christian Century" (TCC) Publication

The Christian Century - Thoughtful,
Independent, Progressive

Processual Critique of

The Christian Century Publication

Equipping Christianity to be a credible,

compelling, and collaborative processual voice

by R.E. Slater & ChatGPT 5

Review of The Christian Century - https://www.christiancentury.org/

The Christian Century (cf. Wikipedia) is a Christian magazine based in Chicago, Illinois. Considered the flagship magazine of US mainline Protestantism, the monthly reports on religious news; comments on theological, moral, and cultural issues; and reviews books, movies, and music.

The magazine's editorial stance has been described as "liberal". It describes its own mission as follows:

For decades, the Christian Century has informed and shaped progressive, mainline Christianity. Committed to thinking critically and living faithfully, the magazine explores what it means to believe and live out the Christian faith in our time. As a voice of generous orthodoxy, the Century is both loyal to the church and open to the world. 

Introduction

As a brief introduction, Relevancy22 generally shares many of the same guiding principles as The Christian Century (TCC), with some important distinctions. Like TCC, it seeks to be broad-minded, intellectually honest, and engaged with the best of the sciences and academic disciplines. It is unapologetically critical of fundamentalist, conservative, traditional, and classicist expressions of Christianity when they hinder love, justice, or truth. It is willing to be progressive and liberal where necessary, open to the best expressions of Christian faith wherever they are found, and inclusive of all sincere interfaith efforts—particularly those that resonate with, or are shaped by, process philosophy.

The central difference between Relevancy22 and most liberal or progressive Christian platforms is its explicit grounding in Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy and the distinctive processual language that emerges from it. Every Christian doctrine, expression, and polity—along with insights from the sciences and the humanities (including movements like the ecological civilization initiative) - is explored here through the metaphysical lens of process philosophy. This includes process theology (as the theological expression of process philosophy), processual developments in the sciences (such as certain quantum theories), and process-oriented movements in sociology and culture.

If the statement is true that “the cosmos, the world, and creation all operate at a processual level,” then our approach to God and God’s creation must also be processual. In this light, all past human expressions of God and creation can be understood as either processual or non-processual articulations of reality - some capturing the nature of process more fully than others, and some not at all. If reality is indeed processual, then we are called to see it as it is and to live within its form and modes of expression - both narratively and teleologically, in relation to its aims and purposes. If reality is not processual, then process philosophy remains one more honest attempt to discover God and God’s world.

With respect to Christianity - and, indeed, to all global faiths - the extent to which each participates in the balance, harmony, and interrelatedness articulated by process thought is the extent to which it aligns with process theology. Process theology is broad enough to incorporate all world religions, including their unique expressions, without negating their perspectives. This is because reality itself is processual, and each tradition may reflect it through its own cultural and theological idioms. For instance, when Christianity proclaims Jesus’ singular role in redemption, it is—at its best—expressing the generative flow of reality through Christ, whereby all creation pulses with value and worth when lived concrescently toward enlivening goals of co-creative participation with one another and with the ecosystems of creation. Islam and Buddhism offer similar themes and may likewise be seen as processual partners in the divine or cosmic flow.

In this way, magazines like The Christian Century can be valuable conversation partners when they engage with process-oriented topics. They help readers imagine how to live out a vibrant Christianity stripped of theological artifice, prejudice, narrow vision, and unloving practice. Still, it must be said: while process theology is always progressive, progressive Christianity is not always processual.

R.E. Slater

August 15, 2025

TCC's Historical Development within Christianity?

The Christian Century describes itself as progressive, but that’s not the same as being processual in the Whiteheadian sense.

From what I’ve seen:

• It embraces open, critical, evolving conversation about faith, culture, and theology — which resembles a process-like stance.

• But it doesn’t explicitly ground itself in process philosophy or theology (no references to Whitehead, Hartshorne, Cobb, etc., in its mission statement or editorial framing).

• Its “progressive” voice is mainly about social engagement, ecumenical openness, and justice advocacy — more in the mainline Protestant progressive tradition than in the philosophical/theological framework of process thought.

So while the tone can feel process-compatible, it’s not a formal process theology platform. Rather, it’s a progressive Christian publication that sometimes publishes authors who work from a process perspective, but also many who do not.

Historically, The Christian Century has been mainline Protestant, not evangelical in the modern American sense. It emerged as a voice for liberal Protestantism in the early 20th century, often in contrast to fundamentalism and conservative evangelicalism. However:

• Its progressive theological tone does sometimes overlap with strands of “progressive evangelical” thought — especially where justice, inclusion, and social critique are central.

• Many of its writers and readers share evangelical roots, but the magazine speaks more from a post-evangelical / mainline hybrid posture than from within evangelicalism itself.

• Unlike evangelical publications, it does not anchor its authority in biblical inerrancy or revivalist traditions; instead, it emphasizes public theology, ecumenism, and dialogue with culture.

So if, as a reader, your identify with TCC as “a progressive example of evangelical thought,” it is because some of its values and emphases — mission, public witness, concern for transformation — echo from within parts of the evangelical heritage, but are essentially reframed through mainline liberal Protestant lenses.

Summary

The Christian Century is really a mainline Protestant flagship which has evolved along with contemporary culture:

• Early 20th century: championed the Social Gospel and theological liberalism against fundamentalism.

• Mid-century: became a hub for ecumenical mainline thought, engaging social issues that supported Black and Minority civil rights and protested against America's war with Vietnam.

• Late 20th century to now: has absorbed postmodern sensibilities, becoming more conversational, less dogmatic, and more open to plural voices - including post-evangelical and occasionally process-friendly perspectives.

The postmodern shift is why it feels more like a place for dialogue than a platform for pronouncement, which is probably why many Christians feel comfortable with it's publication. Its voice isn’t rigid; rather, it’s exploratory, leaning toward relational engagement with culture, which puts it closer to the spirit of process thought, even if not grounded in it philosophically.

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The Christian Century’s Editorial Evolution
vs. Process Theology’s Development

1. Early–Mid 20th Century (Modernist / Social Gospel Era)

• The Christian Century (TCC)

  • Founded as a champion of liberal Protestant modernism against rising fundamentalism.

  • Strongly influenced by Social Gospel theology -  Walter Rauschenbusch’s vision of applying Christian ethics to social structures.

  • Walter Rauschenbusch (1861–1918) was an American theologian and Baptist pastor who taught at the Rochester Theological Seminary. Rauschenbusch was a key figure in the Social Gospel and single tax movements that flourished in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was also the maternal grandfather of the influential philosopher Richard Rorty and the great-grandfather of Paul Raushenbush.

    Paul Raushenbush, a Union Theological Seminary graduate, currently serves as president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance and formerly served as Senior Advisor for Public Affairs and Innovation at Interfaith America (formerly the Interfaith Youth Core). He was Senior Vice President and editor of Voices at Auburn Seminary. From 2009 to 2015 he was the Executive Editor Of Global Spirituality and Religion for Huffington Post's Religion section, and formerly served as editor of BeliefNet. From 2003 to 2011, Raushenbush served as Associate Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel at Princeton University, and served as President of the Association Of College and University Religious Affairs (ACURA) from 2009 to 2011. Raushenbush is the co-founder with Wolfgang F. Danspeckgruber of PORDIR, The Program of Religion, Diplomacy, and International Relations at the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination at Princeton University.

  • Voice was confident, reformist, and rational - grounded in Enlightenment-influenced theological liberalism.

  • Saw history as progressive and the church as an engine for moral improvement  (although, presently, the church's maga-element as burned the engine and delved into many forms of cruel societal oppression).

• Process Theology (emerging)

  • Alfred North Whitehead’s Process and Reality (1929) set the philosophical stage.

  • Charles Hartshorne, John Cobb, and others began articulating process theology in mid-century, but it was largely academic and had little mainstream church presence yet.

  • Early process thought was also optimistic about human progress, though it grounded that hope in metaphysical relationality, not just social reform.

• Overlap: Both were modernist in tone, confident in the power of ideas to change the world, and open to reinterpreting doctrine in light of science and reason.

• Difference: TCC’s theological grounding was liberal Protestant modernism; process theology was already building a distinct metaphysical system.

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2. 1960s–1980s (Ecumenical & Social Activism)

• The Christian Century

  • Expanded coverage of civil rights, anti-war movements, and interfaith dialogue.

  • Ecumenical in orientation -  Methodist, Presbyterian, UCC, Lutheran, Episcopalian voices.

  • Theology, though still largely modernist, became more existential and experiential under post-WWII theological currents (Tillich, Niebuhr).

  • Began engaging liberation theology, feminist theology, and Black theology.

• Process Theology

  • John Cobb and Schubert Ogden began linking process thought to liberation and ecological concerns.

  • Theology became more public and activist, resonating with the era’s justice movements.

  • This is when process started to gain visibility in mainline seminaries - many Century readers and writers would have at least encountered process thought.

• Overlap: Both embraced social justice, ecumenism, and an openness to plural perspectives.

• Difference: TCC remained a broad tent for many theological voices; process theology was a particular stream within that tent.

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3. 1990s–2010s (Postmodern Shift)

• The Christian Century

  • Loosened its modernist certainties; embraced more narrative, dialogical, and pluralistic writing.

  • Willing to publish post-evangelical voices, contemplative writers, and theologically experimental perspectives.

  • Became more hospitable to authors working in process, emergent, and panentheistic frameworks, though without adopting any one framework as editorial identity (an identity which is easily absorbed in process theology).

• Process Theology

  • Expanded into eco-theology, interfaith dialogue, and postmodern philosophy.

  • Engaged with post-structuralism, deconstruction, and metamodernism (e.g., Catherine Keller, Roland Faber).

  • Actively cultivated dialogue between traditions (Christian-Buddhist, Christian-Muslim).

• Overlap: Shared a move away from system-building toward conversational openness; both saw theology as a living process.

• Difference: Process theology still retained a philosophical spine (Whitehead’s metaphysics), while TCC remained more journalistic and thematic.

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4. 2020s (Pluralist, Dialogical Voice)

• The Christian Century

  • Today functions as a forum for progressive Christian thought with a postmodern sensibility: rooted in mainline Protestantism but fully engaged in pluralist discourse.

  • Writers include progressive evangelicals, post-evangelicals, mainline pastors, academics, and interfaith leaders.

  • Topics range from racial justice to climate change to liturgical renewal.

• Process Theology

  • Continues evolving as a metaphysical and theological framework for interconnection, co-creation, and ecological justice.

  • Increasingly integrated into interfaith philosophical networks and “open and relational theology” movements.

• Overlap: Both are deeply committed to justice, ecological awareness, interfaith dialogue, and reimagining faith for a changing world.

• Difference: TCC offers a space for many voices; process theology offers a metaphysical framework which gives foundational grounding for those voices.

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Summary Table

Era	The Christian Century	Process Theology	Relationship
Early–Mid 20th C.	Liberal Protestant modernism, Social Gospel	Philosophical groundwork, relational metaphysics	Parallel modernist optimism
1960s–80s	Ecumenical activism, liberation theology	Justice-oriented process theology	Process enters mainline discourse
1990s–2010s	Postmodern pluralism	Postmodern process theology, eco-theology	Shared openness, different cores
2020s	Progressive pluralist platform	Metaphysical framework for justice, ecology	Complementary but distinct

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Extended Conclusion

I.

The historical trajectories of The Christian Century and process theology reveal two parallel yet distinct stories. Both emerged from early 20th-century optimism about human progress; both shared a commitment to moral transformation; and both learned - through the transformative upheavals of politics, war, injustice, and ecological crisis - to temper that optimism with humility, inclusivity, and critical self-reflection. That is, both moved from confident modernist certainty to a more dialogical, postmodern posture, emphasizing the lived realities of faith in an interconnected, pluralistic world.

Yet the difference in their cores remains decisive. The Christian Century has functioned as a forum - a place where diverse theological voices could meet, challenge, and inspire one another within the broader tradition of mainline Protestantism. Whereas Process theology, by contrast, offers more than a forum, but a foundational / structuralist framework - a coherent metaphysical vision grounded in Whitehead’s philosophy, capable of holding together theology, science, ethics, and global religious dialogue within a single relational -and-dialogical structure.

II.

If the aim of progressive Christianity is to remain relevant in the 21st century - not merely as a moral force, but as a living theological tradition - then it must have more than good intentions and plural conversation. It must possess an intellectual and metaphysical architecture that can integrate:

• The sciences and the humanities, without forcing false separations between fact and value as found in the fundamental and conservative theologies of evangelicalism.

• Justice movements and spiritual traditions, without collapsing into relativism or ideological fragmentation; or the maga-voices of Christianity denying humane and humanitarian responsibilities towards their neighbors.

• The historical Jesus and the cosmic Christ, without retreating into premodern metaphysics or flattening the transcendent as found in evangelical theology.

Process theology meets these criteria: 

• Its metaphysical grounding in relational becoming offering a vision of reality in which God and the world are dynamically interdependent;

• Where divine power is persuasive rather than coercive; and,

• Where creativity is the driving force of both cosmic and personal transformation.

In such a vision, the progressive commitments of mainline Protestantism - justice, inclusion, peace, ecological care - are not merely moral preferences; they are ontological necessities, rooted in the very nature of reality.

III.

This is why process theology can speak not only to Christians, but also to the world’s faiths. Its openness to multiplicity, its affirmation of intrinsic value in all beings, and its capacity to reinterpret salvific and redemptive motifs in culturally particular yet universally resonant ways makes it a natural bridge for interreligious dialogue.

Process Theology does not erase difference. It honors it within a shared cosmic fabric of relationality. Islam’s submission to the divine will, Buddhism’s interdependent origination, Hinduism’s cosmic cycles, Judaism’s covenantal fidelity - all can be understood as processual expressions of the same fundamental truth: that reality is a living web of becoming, and that our calling is to participate in it co-creatively.

In this light, the contribution of The Christian Century is not diminished. As a progressive mainline voice, it provides an important public space for theological reflection and ethical engagement. But without a grounding metaphysic like process theology, such discourse risks remaining thematic rather than integrative - responsive to the moment, but less able to articulate the deep coherence between faith, science, and global human aspiration.

The task ahead for a truly global, processual Christianity is therefore twofold:

1. To retain the openness and pluralism of progressive Protestant discourse—the willingness to listen, learn, and change in response to new knowledge and lived experience.

2. To anchor that openness in a relational (process) metaphysics that can both explain and inspire our moral and spiritual commitments, providing a shared language for interfaith cooperation and cosmic hope.

If reality itself is processual, then any theology that ignores process will ultimately speak in partial or distorted tones. But if we embrace process as the fundamental nature of existence, then theology, science, and ethics need no longer compete for primacy - they become partners in a single, unfolding story.

This is the promise of process theology: not simply to reform Christianity, but to equip it to be a credible, compelling, and collaborative voice in the great interreligious conversation of the planet’s future.