similar-movements
Purpose
This document compares The Church of Life’s beliefs and approach to similar religious movements, helping to understand its position within the broader religious landscape and identify potential resources, communities, and theological frameworks.
The Church of Life Core Beliefs (Summary)
For reference, The Church of Life holds these distinctive beliefs:
- Life itself is the source of meaning - existence and experience fulfill purpose
- Higher Power - acknowledged but not fully defined
- Christian heritage - rooted in but not limited to traditional Christianity
- Bible as wisdom - honored as guidance, not claimed as complete understanding
- Seeker approach - “not claiming all answers”
- Three principles: Sleep Well, Eat Well, Help Others Live
- All life has value - not just human life
Most Similar Movements
1. Unitarian Universalism (UU)
Similarity Score: High (85%)
Unitarian Universalism is the closest mainstream movement to The Church of Life’s approach.
Origins
- Formed in 1961 from merger of Universalist Church of America and American Unitarian Association
- Both historically Christian denominations
- Now identifies as “multifaith” drawing from many sources
Core Beliefs Comparison
| Belief | The Church of Life | Unitarian Universalism |
|---|---|---|
| Life’s meaning | Life itself is meaning | ”Spirit of life” revered |
| Higher Power | Believes, doesn’t fully define | Open to many conceptions |
| Scripture | Bible as wisdom source | Bible as one of many sources |
| Creed | Statement of faith | No required creed |
| Christian heritage | Explicitly rooted | Historical but now pluralistic |
| Seeking | Core identity | Core identity |
| All life valued | Yes | Strong environmental ethic |
UU’s Six Sources of Wisdom
- Direct experience of transcending mystery
- Words and deeds of prophetic people
- Wisdom from world’s religions
- Jewish and Christian teachings
- Humanist teachings (reason and science)
- Earth-centered spiritual traditions
Key Difference: UU has moved beyond Christian identity to embrace all religions equally. The Church of Life maintains explicit Christian heritage while remaining open.
Resources
2. Progressive Christianity
Similarity Score: High (80%)
Progressive Christianity represents the liberal wing of Christian tradition and shares many values with The Church of Life.
Origins
- Term coined 1994 by Center for Progressive Christianity
- Evolution of mainline liberal Protestant tradition
- Draws from process theology, liberation theology, feminist theology
Core Beliefs Comparison
| Belief | The Church of Life | Progressive Christianity |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Humble, seeking | ”Willingness to question tradition” |
| Scripture | Wisdom source | Important but not inerrant |
| Jesus | Not explicitly defined | Focus on teachings/path |
| Community | Essential | Strong emphasis |
| Certainty | ”Not claiming all answers” | Embraces doubt and questions |
| Social justice | ”Help Others Live” | Core commitment |
| Other religions | Respects | Affirms multiple paths |
Progressive Christianity’s Eight Points
- Believe following Jesus leads to greater awareness of Sacred
- Affirm Jesus as one of many ways to experience Sacredness
- Seek community and justice
- Know that the way we behave matters more than what we believe
- Find grace in the search for understanding
- Recognize responsibility to care for Earth
- Commit to path of life-long learning
- Do not claim to have the corner on truth
Key Difference: Progressive Christianity explicitly embraces social justice and political engagement. The Church of Life’s “Help Others Live” principle is similar but less politically defined.
Notable Figures
- Marcus Borg
- Brian McLaren
- Diana Butler Bass
- John Shelby Spong
- Barbara Brown Taylor
Resources
3. Emergent Church Movement
Similarity Score: Moderate-High (70%)
The Emergent Church is a postmodern Christian movement that values authenticity and community over institutional religion.
Origins
- Emerged in late 1990s/early 2000s
- Reaction against both traditional and seeker-sensitive churches
- Part of broader “emerging church” conversation
Core Beliefs Comparison
| Belief | The Church of Life | Emergent Church |
|---|---|---|
| Authenticity | Honest seeking | Core value |
| Community | Essential | Highly communal lives |
| Jesus | Christian heritage | ”Identify with the life of Jesus” |
| Institution | Minimal structure | Skeptical of institutions |
| Certainty | Humble | Embraces mystery |
| Service | ”Help Others Live" | "Serve with generosity” |
Six Practices of Emerging Churches
- Identify with the life of Jesus
- Transform the secular realm
- Live highly communal lives
- Welcome the stranger
- Serve with generosity
- Participate as producers (not consumers)
Key Difference: Emergent Church is explicitly postmodern and often critical of traditional church structures. The Church of Life is less defined by what it opposes.
Resources
4. Universal Life Church (ULC)
Similarity Score: Moderate (60%)
The Universal Life Church emphasizes maximum religious freedom with minimal doctrine.
Origins
- Founded 1959 by Kirby J. Hensley in Modesto, California
- Originally called “Life Church”
- Influenced by study of world religions
Core Beliefs Comparison
| Belief | The Church of Life | Universal Life Church |
|---|---|---|
| Core doctrine | Statement of faith | ”Do that which is right” |
| Religious freedom | Open approach | Absolute freedom |
| Christian identity | Explicit heritage | Non-denominational |
| Scripture | Bible centered | No required scripture |
| Ordination | Not addressed | Free to anyone |
ULC’s Two Core Tenets
- Do only that which is right
- Every individual is free to practice their religion as they like (within law)
Key Difference: ULC is intentionally non-doctrinal to the point of ordaining atheists. The Church of Life maintains specific beliefs about life, Higher Power, and Scripture.
Resources
Less Similar but Related
Seeker-Sensitive Churches
Churches designed to be accessible to spiritual seekers (Willow Creek, Saddleback).
Similarity: Focus on welcoming seekers Difference: Usually maintain evangelical doctrine; The Church of Life is theologically more open
Liberal Mainline Protestant
Traditional denominations with progressive theology (United Church of Christ, Episcopal, ELCA Lutheran, some Presbyterian).
Similarity: Christian heritage, social conscience, openness Difference: More institutional structure and traditional liturgy
Quakers (Religious Society of Friends)
Similarity: Emphasis on direct experience, humility, simplicity Difference: Distinct practices (silent worship, consensus decision-making)
Positioning Summary
The Church of Life occupies a unique position:
More Christian ←————————————————————→ Less Christian
Traditional Progressive UU SecularEvangelical Christianity Humanism | | | | | | [Church of Life] | | | | | Emergent Church | | | | | |The Church of Life is:
- More explicitly Christian than UU
- Less traditionally doctrinal than Progressive Christianity
- More structured in beliefs than ULC
- Less institutionally defined than Emergent Church
Practical Implications
For IRS Purposes
All of these movements have achieved 501(c)(3) recognition, demonstrating that:
- Non-traditional theology is acceptable
- “Seeker” approaches qualify
- Minimal doctrine is sufficient if sincere
For Community Building
Consider connecting with:
- Local UU congregations (most theologically aligned)
- Progressive Christian networks
- Emergent/emerging church communities
For Resources
Theological works from these traditions may resonate:
- Marcus Borg’s writings on progressive Christianity
- UUA’s religious education materials
- Emergent Church community practices