I'm often called a "liberal" or "progressive" Christian by others, in a way that wants to deny that I believe certain things about the world. So let me try to set the record a little straighter today.
1. On suffering
Only in America -- and in suburb America at that -- would folks who read and hear me think that I deny suffering in the world. In fact, suffering is what drives my Christian faith.
My own biography is riddled with doubt precisely because I've come pastorally and existentially face-to-face with so much suffering.
Thing is, so many theologians have turned the spiritual fight against dark forces into an intellectual puzzle to solve. Thus, evil wins in two different ways. First, by causing suffering. And second, by making us theological-navel gazers, doubters rather than resisters.
This is particularly stinging for American Christians. Folks who have grown up experiencing genocide and tyranny know a version of evil that is less abstract. Most of USers don't.
That's because most American Christians practically strip the Gospel stories down to Crucifixion and Resurrection, with everything else -- particularly Jesus-the-exorcist -- as nothing more than narrative precursors to the "real" work of salvation (i.e., "Jesus dying for my sins"). It's an anemic reading of the Gospel. No, it's worse: It's heresy.
My concern with human suffering doesn't exist because I'm committed to a "liberal agenda". My lament and struggle against suffering takes place precisely because I follow Jesus of the Gospels, not just the one who's work is just the spiritual work of "dying for my sins".
2. The Satan
For a "liberal/progressive Christian", I talk a lot about the Satan.
Why?
Ephesians 6.11-12, for starters. "Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
We wrestle not against flesh and blood.
Too many modern Christians have a flattened world. In an effort to bend to the modern world, we disenchant it.
The drive to attend to "justice", paradoxically, finds those same modern Christians fighting real life "flesh and blood" power. If social justice is merely the combating of systemic evil in the world, Christians make the Kingdom come on earth, with a price. That price is a world stepped with spirit and life.
Which can create some problems. Because of disenchantment all we are left with are human agents. Consequently, in the progressive and liberal struggle for social justice, the battle can start feeling more and more like it is "against flesh and blood". And when that starts happening we begin to participate in the cycles of violence going on around us. We begin, and here's the irony, demonizing other human beings -- battling against flesh and blood.
My point here is that in a disenchanted world we are tempted to battle against flesh and blood because flesh and blood is the only thing around to hate and aggress against. There is no room, in a flat, disenchanted world, for anything other than human beings to play the role of the satan.
All my talk about the Devil gives depth to a flattened world. The reason I won't call myself "progressive"? It's here: The price paid is too high. Violence, particularly of a sort I see in "liberal" brothers and sisters, isn't an option.
Now, I'm not sure I want to personalize such evil. But when I name "the Satan", I'm speaking about all those impersonal and large-scale dynamics and forces that have perverse moral effects upon human persons and societies.
In short, by helping to enchant the world the devil aids in keeping us non-violent. Reference to the devil is theological and moral shorthand to remind ourselves that our battle is not against flesh and blood. The devil helps us displace anger, hate and violence, keeping these emotions alive and energized as vital energy given the battles we face, but deflected away people -- especially our enemies -- as we fight for a more just and humane world.