Professor Harvey Cox and E. J. Dionne to Headline Discussion on Faith and the Progressive Movement

November 6, 2009

Event is second in series presented by the Progressive Book Club and the Center for American Progress

NEW YORK, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Progressive Book Club (PBC) and the Center for American Progress (CAP) today announced that Harvard divinity professor Harvey Cox and syndicated columnist and author E. J. Dionne will headline the second installment of the monthly series Moving Forward: Foundations of a New Progressive Era. Launched last month, the Moving Forward series brings together leading progressive authors and policy experts in unique in-person and online forums designed to help Americans learn, connect, debate, and mobilize around ideas.

The evening's discussion will explore the issues raised in Harvey Cox's new book, The Future of Faith. Cox posits that Christianity is undergoing a third period of transformation marked by a disregard of dogma in favor of a more open "spirituality," and a collapse of barriers between different religions. One of the casualties of this transformation is an historically influential actor in American politics: religious fundamentalism.

Joining Professor Cox will be E. J. Dionne, whose most recent book - Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics After the Religious Right - announced the end of the Religious Right's narrow social agenda, and the rise of more open-minded, social-justice oriented faith movements on both sides of the political aisle. The two will engage in a lively discussion on the current and historical role of religion in American politics, and what this ongoing transformation means as current and future administrations struggle with a wide range of foreign and domestic policy challenges.

Author and Progressive Book Club Editorial Board member Todd Gitlin will moderate the discussion, which will be streamed live on the Progressive Book Club blog and feature a Q&A that engages both the live and online audience. There will be a reception following the discussion.

You can RSVP to attend in person, or sign up to receive advance notice of the live webcast, by visiting us at http://progressivebookclub.com/cap.

WHAT: Discussion with Professor Harvey Cox and E. J. Dionne

WHERE: WNYC's Greene Space

44 Charlton Street (at Varick Street)

New York, NY 10014

WHEN: November 18, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

FOR PRESS INQUIRIES:

PBC - Dina Owobu, 212.871.8219, dowobu@progressivebookclub.com

CAP - Anna Soellner, 202.492.2967 asoellner@americanprogress.org

SOURCE Progressive Book Club