Divine Rebelschronicles the extraordinary efforts of American Christian activists who agitate for a world free of racism, patriarchy, bigotry, retribution, ecocide, torture, poverty, and militarism.
While pundits speak of the “Religious Right,” this is the underreported story of American Christians who are progressivebecausethey are religious. They don’t see themselves simply performing good work, butGodlywork. They believe in a community based on ethics, a world with infinite potential for improvement, and an inclusive God of love. These rabble-rousers are small in number, and their efficacy is best measured on the margins, but they are part and parcel of an American tradition that began with the nation’s earliest Quaker abolitionists.
By profiling social justice activists on the frontlines of the “Christian Left” since the 1960s,Divine Rebelsarticulates a forward-thinking, faith-based alternative to both the conservative drone warping religion as well as the political left’s alienating cynicism.
Divine Rebelsoffers a much-needed corrective to the wrathful voices on the Religious Right by showcasing the underreported heroism of politically progressive Christians who reject power and privilege in favor of compassion and reconciliation. —Sister Helen Prejean, author ofDead Man Walking
With a journalist’s eye for the interesting and an historian’s attention to context, Deena Guzder tells the under-reported story of America’s faith-based social justice movement after Martin Luther King, Jr. These are the lives of people I’ve learned from, people I love. What l³°