By Betsy Shirley
Editor in Chief, Sojourners

Over the past week, I’ve been amused watching national media outlets try to explain “progressive Christianity.” From the headlines, you’d think it was a phenomenon that only emerged with the 2026 midterms; I chuckled when one national newspaper described Matthew 25 as the “Bible Chapter That Explains the New Christian Left.” (Never mind how the chapter has inspired generations of justice-seeking Christians throughout history, including 50-some years of Sojourners).

On the whole, though, I’ll take it. Many of us have worked hard to see public expressions of Christianity that look more like Jesus. If more people are now recognizing the Bible’s instructions to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, and visit those in prison, I welcome that change.

But let’s say this real loud for the folks in the back: Progressive Christianity is not about making Jesus into a puppet for the Democratic Party, or what some call “Blue Jesus.” As Erin Vanderhoof writes, it’s a mistake to think of politicians who’ve spoken out about their progressive faith as updated versions of the “1980s right-wing Moral Majority, but with a different color tie.” And as she points out, the kind of Christianity that inspired the politicians who won in the midterms is not really “new” either.

For those of us who don’t need to flip open a Bible to know what Matthew 25 says, this is a great opportunity to show the world what it really means to follow Jesus—in sharp contrast to the Christian nationalist movement. Will we join the chants to lock up our enemies, asks Hannah Bowman, or will we imagine a world where accountability and repair look different? Will we make space for those whose expression of faith—including the Christian faith—look quite different from ours? And will we have the courage to critique respected leaders when they make decisions that hurt the common good?

Kenji Kuramitsu models this kind of courage in his critical review of a recent memoir by a prominent Christian pastor detailing her admitted sexual boundary violation. As Kenji admits, he struggled with whether he should even write the review: “The church is a small world. I am not trying to pile on or throw stones from a glass house,” he says. Yet when “public work by one of our nation’s leading progressive Christian writers treats an already fraught and painful issue recklessly,” progressive Christians should be the first to speak up. And based on the feedback you all have been sending us (check the “Community Notes” section below), a lot of you agree.

Here’s what else we’ve got this week: Columnist José Humphreys wrestles with how leaders can “develop an inner sturdiness to hold spaces for discomfort” and Kris Brunelli writes a goodbye letter to a fellow artist she met at a Catholic Worker house. If you missed the epic photos of Bob Dylan with Pope Leo, we’ve got you covered.

And I can’t resist: Since Matthew 25 is making headlines, here’s a riff on that passage that we published in our very first issue—way back in 1971.

Rev. Lillian Daniel’s Memoir Treats Accountability as Exile

‘Defrocked’ is witty, moving, and beautifully written. It’s also reckless.

Read the full article

What if discipleship mirrored what God is actually like?

Community Notes

Earlier this week, we published Kenji Kuramitsu’s critical review of Defrocked, a new memoir by Rev. Lillian Daniel. Many of our readers have shared their reactions with us; here are two of them:

“This is an excellent and necessary article by the Rev. Kenji Kuramitsu, and I agree with it wholeheartedly. I did not support Lillian Daniel in this matter, and this article gives clear expression to the concerns I share. The people harmed by violations of pastoral trust deserve to be heard, taken seriously, and protected from further harm. Their experiences must remain central to the church’s response.” — Rev. Jane Willan

“I commend the Rev. Kuramitsu on this important, thoughtful, and spot-on review of a text that threatens to re-traumatize not only the person who dealt with her boundary violation, but all of us who have been on the receiving end of inappropriate attention from religious or clinical leaders. As a former congregational minister, the problems named by Rev. Kuramitsu and the lack of denominational response are a major reason why I no longer serve in church settings.” — Thea Racelis

We also want to hear what you think about the review and the book itself. Hit ‘reply’ and send us an email with your thoughts—we read everything you write to us, and it helps us know what’s connecting for you.

Our Latest Stories

James Talarico preaches at Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Austin on Dec. 14, 2025.

Talarico Isn’t Preaching a ‘Blue Jesus’ (by Erin Vanderhoof)

Some may see progressive Christian candidates as the “same idolatry” of the Moral Majority with a different color tie, but Liberal Christianity is not a left-wing version of the Christian Right.