Whatever Happened to the Religious Left?
There is nothing on the left corresponding to the politically dynamic religious right. But there are some promising elements with the potential to become greater than the sum of their parts. This panel seeks to address what's going on and what should happen next. We will discuss how common approaches to electoral politics can be found and practiced in a way that respects the unique character of progressive faith.
Rev. Osagyefo Sekou founded the Interfaith Worker Justice Center for New Orleans and Clergy & Laity Concerned about Iraq. He authored the critically acclaimed "urbansouls" (Urban Press, 2001) and the forthcoming "gods, Gays, and Guns: Religion and the Future of Democracy" (Ig, 2009). Rev. Sekou is an associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and Freeman fellow with the Fellowship of Reconciliation. He has lectured around the world—including Harvard Divinity School and University of Paris IV La Sorbonne. He is a third generation Pentecostal pastor and studied philosophy at the New School and theology at Union Theological Seminary.
Katie Paris joined Faith in Public Life—a Washington, DC-based non-profit dedicated to transforming the values debate by increasing the visibility of the faith leaders organizing for justice and the common good—as director of communications strategy in December 2005. Paris was previously research director at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the first research director of Media Matters, and has served on senatorial and gubernatorial campaigns, as well as John Edwards's 2004 presidential bid. Paris holds a BA from Wesleyan University. She was born in Atlanta and raised in Asheville, NC.
Andrew Rickles is a Southern Baptist student pastor in Alabama trying to break the mold of traditional religious and political discourse. In other words, the world's only progressive Baptist.
Daniel Schultz is a United Church of Christ pastor in Wisconsin and leader of the online community Street Prophets.
