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A new approach to understanding religiously motivated social action, and the realities of the American political landscape. 

To many mainstream-media saturated Americans, the terms “progressive” and “religious” may not seem to go hand-in-hand.  As religion is usually tied to conservatism, an important way in which religion and politics intersect is being overlooked.  

Progressive Religion and Social Activism focuses on this significant intersection, revealing that with almost every political issue or area of public concern, progressive religious activists are a driving force in American public life. Taken together, the book challenges common perceptions of religiously motivated social action, and offers a more grounded and nuanced understanding of religion and the American political landscape. 

This volume brings together leading experts who dissect and analyze the inner worlds and public strategies of activist groups. It provides insight on documented trends, reviews overlooked case studies, and assesses the varied ways in which progressive religion forces us to deconstruct common political binaries such as right/left and progress/tradition. In a coherent and accessible way, this book engages and rethinks long accepted theories of religion, social movements, and of the role of faith in democratic politics and civic life.