A new Christianity is on the rise - that much is certain. What does it look like? That's what The Phoenix Journal is here to explore.
Produced and Hosted by the Rev. Landon Whitsitt, TPJ's mission is "to promote and encourage a progressive Christian worldview by exploring its presence in the lives of people and demonstrating its value to creation as a whole."
TPJ is named for "The Phoenix Affirmations", a list of twelve affirmations constructed by a group of Phoenix, AZ clergy who felt that Christianity needed a prominent voice countering the rising tide of radical fundamentalism.
In 1998, a group of Christian clergy gathered in a Phoenix coffeehouse, concerned about the increasing marginalization of moderate and progressive voices within the public sphere of Christianity. These clergy came from several traditionally “mainline” denominations - United Methodist, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, and Lutheran. (From Who is Crosswalk America?)What eventually resulted were "The Phoenix Affirmations":
The public face of Christianity in America today bears little connection to the historic faith of our ancestors. It represents even less our own faith as Christians who continue to celebrate the gifts of our Creator, revealed and embodied in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Heartened by our experience of the transforming presence of Christ’s Holy Spirit in our world, we find ourselves in a time and place where we will be no longer silent. We hereby mark an end to our silence by making the following affirmations:
As people who are joyfully and unapologetically Christian, we pledge ourselves completely to the way of Love. We work to express our love, as Jesus teaches us, in three ways: by loving God, neighbor, and self.
Every week TPJ will seek out the places where a progressive Christian worldview (as articulated by "The Phoenix Affirmations") can be found. We will celebrate and encourage this expression of our faith as it can be found in art, politics, fellowship, and other aspects of our lives together.
