God's Work in the Secular World

As in biblical times God works more effectively with non-religious forces in the world today to bring about justice and equity among humans than with religious institutions. This has been the case in the last two centuries in the abolition of slavery, the eradication of racial segregation, the quest for women's rights, the rights of divorcees, and the acceptance of gays and lesbians in church and society. But the struggle for justice on all those fronts is far from over, and the forces of regression still come in large part from religious institutions. Biblical criticism provides the means to discern God's grace and to glean the Bible's wisdom without being mired in its ancient cultural traps and trappings, but the scholarly community seems reluctant to claim its relevant powers and to join the struggle for justice.