Can Progressives of Faith Achieve the Upper Hand?
Religious Progressives Can Prevail Together
The Atlantic Monthly examines a recent Public Religion Institute (PRI)/ Brookings Institution survey on how faith influences views on society, noting that while progressive faith is on the rise it has yet to become a cohesive faith-based force rivaling that of religious conservatives. The study shows that faith more often determines the thinking of religious conservatives as a group on social or political issues than that of religious progressives because religious progressives are inherently more diverse, and thus less homogenous in their thinking.
While this study explains why the Religious Right is so successful translating its beliefs into an electoral and legislative agenda, it also suggests an opportunity for progressive religious organizations that can connect the values of progressives of faith into a broad coalition for faith-based action.