Efforts to regenerate and jump-start religiously inspired progressive politics have been popping-up around the country.  One of these, is CrossLeft and its related think tank, the Institute for Progressive Christianity. Organized primarily by young, progressive Christians, these entities are not creatures of the Inside the Beltway consultantocracy. They are going their own way; thinking their own thoughts; and doing interesting things.  One of the interesting things they have done is to ask me to organize a panel about the religious right for their symposium this weekend in Cambridge: Countering Fundamentalism: Christian Gospel as a Basis for Progressive Social Action  I am honored to do so: but my point is that the IPC, like the New York State Interfaith Alliance a few weekends ago, (but unlike many other progressive organizations; both religious and non-religious), stand-out in their understanding that knowledge and a clear analysis of formidable adversaries is a necessary prerequisite for political success.

The conference features a panel on marriage equality -- which is often a struggle for moderate Christians. Here in Massachusetts, the politics of marriage equality loom large as we head into the '08 election season.  And we can expect the religious right, and the polititians who pander to them, to make a big show of themselves here.

The entire conference agenda is below. But I want to highlight the description of my session:

Organizing for Success:  Rethinking the Religious Right and What to Do About it.

The religious right is formidable. Arguably, it is one of the most successful and powerful movements in recent American history and it has arrived at a place at or near the center of American political and religious life. This presents challenges for progressive Christians. First among them is gaining appropriate knowledge about the movement based on sound thinking and good analysis; Second, is how we then learn to describe and discuss the religious right among ourselves and in public. Finally, we need to be able to see clearly what distinguishes us from this movement, not only in religious terms, but our vision of who we are as citizens of this country and where we stand in history. How do we do this? Our panel says they have some answers based on their many decades of research, writing and activism.

Panelists are:

Frederick Clarkson, co-founder of Talk2Action.org
Rev. Katherine Ragsdale, Executive Director of Political Research Associates
Chip Berlet, Senior Analyst, Political Research Associates (and Talk to Action front pager.)

Countering Fundamentalism: Christian Gospel as a Basis for Progressive Social Action

Register now

What

The symposium seeks to provide both a forum for lively discussion and debate integrated with planning sessions for Greater Boston. The two-day event will feature intellectual discussions on the History of Christian Progressivism, Jesus' Call to Peacemaking, the Theological Support for Gay Marriage.

We will also hold interactive sessions that seek to develop a cross-denominational, cross-tradition Progressive Christian Council that will work towards a public policy agenda regionally and nationally.

Event Details

February 23rd and 24th
23rd: 6:00 - 9:00pm; 24th 9:30am - 3:00pm
First Church in Cambridge (UCC), 11 Garden Street Cambridge, MA 02138, one block from Harvard Square

Who

Speakers and panelists include: Prof. Richard Parker, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Rev. Debra Haffner, Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing; Rev. Anne Fowler, President of Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry; Frederick Clarkson, Founder of Talk2Action.org, Rev. Osagyefo Sekou, Executive Director of New Orleans Interfaith Worker Justice, and others.

Agenda

Friday, February 23

6:00 - 6:20 Welcoming and Prayers
6:20 - 7:00 Opening Speaker - Rev. Debra Haffner
7:00 - 7:30 Visioning Session
7:30 - 9:00 Professor Richard Parker - "How did we get here - history of religion and politics."
9:00 - 11:00 Socializing in Harvard Square

Saturday, February 24

9:30 - 10:30 Welcoming Service and Update on New Orleans, Rev. Osagyefo Sekou
10:30 - 12:15 - Gay Marriage Panel: Rev. Anne Fowler, President of Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry
Justin Lee, Executive Director GayChristian.net
Rev. Pam Werntz, Assistant Rector, St. Paul's Episcopal Brookline
12:15 - 12:45 Lunch
12:45 - 2:00 Organizing for Success: Rethinking the Religious Right -- And What to Do About It
Frederick Clarkson, Rev. Katherine Ragsdale, Chip Berlet
2:00 - 3:00 Local Agenda Setting
3:00 - 3:30 Closing

About the Institute for Progressive Christianity

We are Progressive

We are progressive in that we desire to promote: the Love of God, Neighbor and Self; Compassion; Justice; and the Common Good.

We are Christian

We are an ecumenical group of Christians of different theological orientations: Liberal, Mainline Protestant, Catholic, and Evangelical. We believe in being in community that maintains unity while acknowledging and supporting our diversity. We are united in our conviction that our progressive values flow directly from our understanding of the message and example of Jesus.

We are an Institute

We have faith that we can positively confront the ills of this world with a progressive Christian witness that is coherent, convicted, intelligent, and passionate. In a spirit of being affirmative, we believe that engaging society's questions should be done transparently and authentically from a reasoned yet inspired place of substance. We research, analyze, and discuss the issues with an eye to welcoming other people into a dialogue where we can encourage and provoke each other to fulfill our destinies as unique but interdependent reflections of the Creator.