Progressive & Religious
How Christian, Jewish, Muslim,
and Buddhist Leaders are Moving
Beyond the Culture Wars and
Transforming American Public Life
Robert P. Jones, Ph.D.
The wind is changing. There is a new spirit rising
above the extremes of the self-righteous right and the anti-religious
left. A growing movement is emerging in American public life that
is both politically progressive and authentically religious. Progressive & Religious tells the story of this emerging movement through
nearly 100 in-depth interviews with remarkable contemporary
leaders in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism. Both for
religious Americans who are wary of progressive politics and for
political progressives who are wary of religion, understanding the
new progressive religious movement has the potential to open up
new conversations and coalitions at a critical moment in our national
life. Contrary to many assumptions, Jones finds that progressive
religious leaders are not organizing a mirror image of the Religious
Right. Rather, they are building a majority coalition of left and
center based on the deepest principles in each of these faiths: the call
to heal the world, to stand for justice with the poor and oppressed,
and to embrace religious diversity and pluralism as a part of God’s
wisdom in creation. The book portrays a vision of a vibrant multireligious
America that will help journalists, policy makers, and the
general public reach a deeper understanding of the authentic, deep
religious roots of progressive politics.
Advance Praise for Progressive & Religious
By seeking out and presenting American opinion leaders who are committed to human rights and social justice from their respective religious perspectives, Progressive AND Religious is particularly timely in these perilous times of polarization and social regression among religious communities. In this pioneering initiative, Dr. Jones exemplifies the vitally important role of the public intellectual and responsible scholarship for social change.
-An-Na'im Abdullahi Ahmed, Ph.D., Professor of Law, Emory University; human rights activist; and author of Toward and Islamic Reformation
Dr. Jones's Progressive AND Religious promises to finally put to rest the myth that one cannot be both religious and politically progressive. This book will make a major contribution to our understanding of religion in public life by highlighting the deep, authentic connections that exist between progressive religious belief and practice on the one hand and a commitment to a politics of the common good on the other.
-Rev. Jennifer Butler, Executive Director of Faith and Public Life; author of Born Again: The Christian Right Globalized.
This is a potentially vital book, and Dr. Jones brings to the task a clear vision and much intelligence.
-Al Vorspan, civil rights leader; Vice President Emeritus of the Union for Reform Judaism; founding Director of the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism
