This book came into being about two o'clock in the morning on the day after the 2004 presidential election. It arose out of the stunned realization that the historic tradition of progressive Christian thought and action had virtually disappeared from our public discourse.Progressive Christianity, writes theology professor Delwin Brown, is a family of perspectives that is united in opposing right-wing religion but also desires to go beyond "liberal" and "conservative" labels.Kindle edition available

This collection explores the highly contested relationship of religious studies and theology and the place of each, if any, in secular institutions of higher education. The founding narrative of religious studies, with its sharp distinction between teaching religion and teaching about religion, grows less compelling in the face of globalization and the erosion of modernism. These essays take up the challenge of thinking through the identity and borders of religious studies and theology for our time. Reflecting a broad range of positions, the authors explore the religious/secular conceptual landscape that has dominated the modern West, and in the process address the revision of the academic study of religion and theology now underway.

Theologians are increasingly looking to cultural criticism, rather than philosophy, as a dialogue partner for cross-disciplinary studies. This book explores the importance of this shift by bringing together scholars from a variety of theological perspectives to analyze different contemporary theories of cultural movements. The book is divided into two parts. The first examines the theoretical relationship between theology and cultural studies. The second consists of theological analyses of a series of controversial topics (including race, class, resistance movements, and identity politics) that cry out for theological reflection.

Theologians are increasingly looking to cultural criticism, rather than philosophy, as a dialogue partner for cross-disciplinary studies. This book explores the importance of this shift by bringing together scholars from a variety of theological perspectives to analyze different contemporary theories of cultural movements. The book is divided into two parts. The first examines the theoretical relationship between theology and cultural studies. The second consists of theological analyses of a series of controversial topics (including race, class, resistance movements, and identity politics) that cry out for theological reflection.