What do you think?
Rate this book
Progressive & Religious: How Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist Leaders are Moving Beyond Partisan Politics and Transforming American Public Life
In recent years, Americans have become frustrated with the troubled relationship between religion and an exclusive claim on faith and values from the right and a radical divorce of faith from politics on the left. Now a new generation of religious leaders is re-envisioning religion in public life, leading grassroots movements to go beyond partisan politics to work for a more just and inclusive society. Progressive & Religious tells the dynamic stories of these leaders.
Through nearly 100 in-depth interviews with Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Buddhist leaders, this book explains how they are tapping the deep connections between religion and social justice to work on issues like poverty and worker's rights, the environment, health care, pluralism, and human rights. Interviewees include David Saperstein, Michael Lerner, Jim Wallis, Brian McLaren, Feisal Abdul Rauf, Eboo Patel, Kecia Ali, Lama Surya Das, Robert Thurman, and E. J. Dionne.
Through nearly 100 in-depth interviews with Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Buddhist leaders, this book explains how they are tapping the deep connections between religion and social justice to work on issues like poverty and worker's rights, the environment, health care, pluralism, and human rights. Interviewees include David Saperstein, Michael Lerner, Jim Wallis, Brian McLaren, Feisal Abdul Rauf, Eboo Patel, Kecia Ali, Lama Surya Das, Robert Thurman, and E. J. Dionne.
- GenresReligionNonfiction
280 pages, Hardcover
First published July 25, 2008
About the author
Robert P. Jones
25 books222 followersRobert P. Jones is a New York Times bestselling author and the president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). He is the author of BACKSLIDE: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy (2026); The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future (2023); White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity (2020), which won a 2021 American Book Award; and The End of White Christian America (2016), which won the 2019 Grawemeyer Award in Religion.
Jones writes regularly on politics, culture, and religion for The Atlantic, TIME, Religion News Service, and other outlets. He is frequently featured in major national media, such as CNN, MSNBC, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others. Jones writes the popular Redeeming Democracy newsletter on Substack (https://www.redeemingdemocracy.net/).
He holds a Ph.D. in religion from Emory University, an M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a B.S. in computing science and mathematics from Mississippi College. Jones was inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2026. He was selected by Emory University’s Graduate Division of Religion as Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2013, and by Mississippi College’s Mathematics Department as Alumnus of the Year in 2016. Jones served on the editorial boards for the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, and Politics and Religion, a journal of the American Political Science Association.
Before founding PRRI, Jones worked as a consultant and senior research fellow at several think tanks in Washington, D.C., and was an assistant professor of religious studies at Missouri State University.
Jones writes regularly on politics, culture, and religion for The Atlantic, TIME, Religion News Service, and other outlets. He is frequently featured in major national media, such as CNN, MSNBC, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others. Jones writes the popular Redeeming Democracy newsletter on Substack (https://www.redeemingdemocracy.net/).
He holds a Ph.D. in religion from Emory University, an M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a B.S. in computing science and mathematics from Mississippi College. Jones was inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2026. He was selected by Emory University’s Graduate Division of Religion as Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2013, and by Mississippi College’s Mathematics Department as Alumnus of the Year in 2016. Jones served on the editorial boards for the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, and Politics and Religion, a journal of the American Political Science Association.
Before founding PRRI, Jones worked as a consultant and senior research fellow at several think tanks in Washington, D.C., and was an assistant professor of religious studies at Missouri State University.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 13, 2013
Splendid sharing from four religious traditions and leaders who are making real and meaningful life-affirming change.
Displaying 1 of 1 review