Religion and Progressive Politics, by Richard Wood

When: Tue, Sep 24 2013 5:30pm

Where: UNM Campus

The 21 Club wishes to thank our speaker, Associate Professor Rich Wood Associate Professor, Sociology.

Religion and Progressive Politics: Oxymoron or our own Blinders?

Rich Wood will discuss findings of his work on religion and spirituality within progressive political movements, particularly the American “faith-based community organizing” model that became famous due to Barack Obama’s brief engagement with it before he entered electoral politics. Talk will highlight recent research into the political profile and religious underpinnings of this field, including its impressive diversity across racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and immigrant-native divides that typically undermine progressive movements in American history. What does this research teach us about how we might build a more sustainable and vigorous movement to deepen democracy in America in the decade ahead?