In recent years, Americans have become frustrated with the troubled relationship between religion and politics: 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.

Robert P. Jones, Ph.D., is president of Public Religion Research, a consulting firm advising national advocacy groups, and visiting fellow in religion at The Third Way, a progressive think tank.

Chapter 1 Introduction: Moving Beyond the Culture Wars: Finding Progressive Religion in America
Chapter 2 Lifting the Line of History: How Progressive Jews are Healing the World
Chapter 3 More Truth Breaking Out: How Progressive Christians are Seeking the Reign of God on Earth
Chapter 4 Knowing One Another: How Progressive Muslims are Fostering Justice, Beauty, and Pluralism
Chapter 5 Just Sitting Down: How Progressive Buddhists are Being Peace and Embodying Justice
Chapter 6 Conclusion: Progressive & Religious: The New Face of Religion in American Public Life
Chapter 7 List of Interviewees
Chapter 8 Bibliography