Both Christianity — where they part company
Progressive Christianity and Reformed Christianity (Calvinism)
Close relatives, which is exactly why the 11 axes they diverge on are the interesting part. Mean distance across all seventeen axes: 0.44 (0 would be identical).
Keeps the practice, the story and the ethics while reading the metaphysics as metaphor. Scripture is human testimony rather than dictation, other paths are treated as genuinely valid, and the point of the whole thing is how you live now.
God’s sovereignty pressed further than anywhere else in Christianity: election is unconditional and grace is irresistible, so nothing whatsoever on the human side earns the outcome. Worship is stripped to what scripture positively commands.
Where they agree
A3 Plurality
Both sit at strictly one — a gap of 0.07.
D2 Centrality of ritual
Both sit at between essential and prescribed and optional or absent — a gap of 0.07.
C2 Shape of time
Both sit at one life, then judgment — a gap of 0.08.
Where they part company
E1 Exclusivity
Progressive Christianity: many valid paths. Reformed Christianity (Calvinism): one true path. A gap of 0.78 on an axis running from “one true path” to “many valid paths”.
B2 Reading of sacred text
Progressive Christianity: metaphorical, or no text at all. Reformed Christianity (Calvinism): leaning literal and binding. A gap of 0.70 on an axis running from “literal and binding” to “metaphorical, or no text at all”.
C3 The human condition
Progressive Christianity: leaning ignorant but fundamentally sound. Reformed Christianity (Calvinism): fallen and in need of rescue. A gap of 0.70 on an axis running from “fallen and in need of rescue” to “ignorant but fundamentally sound”.
B1 Source of truth
Progressive Christianity: leaning reason and direct experience. Reformed Christianity (Calvinism): revealed and fixed. A gap of 0.65 on an axis running from “revealed and fixed” to “reason and direct experience”.
D1 Mechanism of the ultimate good
Progressive Christianity: between given as grace and achieved by effort or insight. Reformed Christianity (Calvinism): given as grace. A gap of 0.56 on an axis running from “given as grace” to “achieved by effort or insight”.
D3 The body
Progressive Christianity: leaning to be celebrated. Reformed Christianity (Calvinism): leaning to be disciplined. A gap of 0.52 on an axis running from “to be disciplined” to “to be celebrated”.
B3 Institutional authority
Progressive Christianity: leaning individual conscience decides. Reformed Christianity (Calvinism): leaning clergy and tradition decide. A gap of 0.48 on an axis running from “clergy and tradition decide” to “individual conscience decides”.
A4 Locus
Progressive Christianity: leaning fully present within it. Reformed Christianity (Calvinism): leaning wholly beyond the world. A gap of 0.47 on an axis running from “wholly beyond the world” to “fully present within it”.
C1 Survival of the self
Progressive Christianity: between ends at death and continues in some form. Reformed Christianity (Calvinism): continues in some form. A gap of 0.46 on an axis running from “ends at death” to “continues in some form”.
A2 Personhood
Progressive Christianity: between impersonal principle or order and a personal being one can address. Reformed Christianity (Calvinism): a personal being one can address. A gap of 0.44 on an axis running from “impersonal principle or order” to “a personal being one can address”.
E4 Standing of nature
Progressive Christianity: leaning animate and itself sacred. Reformed Christianity (Calvinism): leaning creation, given for use. A gap of 0.44 on an axis running from “creation, given for use” to “animate and itself sacred”.
All seventeen axes
| Axis | Progressive Christianity | Reformed Christianity (Calvinism) | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Divine reality | between nothing beyond the natural and a divine reality certainly exists | a divine reality certainly exists | 0.38 |
| A2 Personhood | between impersonal principle or order and a personal being one can address | a personal being one can address | 0.44 |
| A3 Plurality | strictly one | strictly one | 0.07 |
| A4 Locus | leaning fully present within it | leaning wholly beyond the world | 0.47 |
| B1 Source of truth | leaning reason and direct experience | revealed and fixed | 0.65 |
| B2 Reading of sacred text | metaphorical, or no text at all | leaning literal and binding | 0.70 |
| B3 Institutional authority | leaning individual conscience decides | leaning clergy and tradition decide | 0.48 |
| C1 Survival of the self | between ends at death and continues in some form | continues in some form | 0.46 |
| C2 Shape of time | one life, then judgment | one life, then judgment | 0.08 |
| C3 The human condition | leaning ignorant but fundamentally sound | fallen and in need of rescue | 0.70 |
| D1 Mechanism of the ultimate good | between given as grace and achieved by effort or insight | given as grace | 0.56 |
| D2 Centrality of ritual | between essential and prescribed and optional or absent | between essential and prescribed and optional or absent | 0.07 |
| D3 The body | leaning to be celebrated | leaning to be disciplined | 0.52 |
| E1 Exclusivity | many valid paths | one true path | 0.78 |
| E2 Origin of the cosmos | between an intentional act and beginningless or natural | an intentional act | 0.36 |
| E3 Locus of belonging | leaning an individual choice | between a people, inherited and an individual choice | 0.25 |
| E4 Standing of nature | leaning animate and itself sacred | leaning creation, given for use | 0.44 |
Positions for Progressive Christianity rest principally on Borg, Spong and the Center for Progressive Christianity’s Eight Points; for Reformed Christianity (Calvinism), on Westminster Confession of Faith (1646). Per-cell sources are listed on each tradition’s own page.
The questionnaire places your answers on these same axes and ranks all 65 traditions by how closely they match. Take it.