Network of Spiritual Progressives

There is an interesting group under construction by the Tikkun Community and fronted by Rabbi Michael Lerner, author of the book The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our Country from the Religious Right. According to the website for the Network of Spiritual Progressives much of the organization is derived from the principles put forward in this book, and indeed it is recommended that if you are interested in joining/participating with this group that you borrow or buy a copy and read it first. Of course, you might want some kind of overview before you invest in buying/reading said book.

Here are the basic tenets of the organization:

Basic1. Changing the Bottom Line in America


Today, institutions and social practices are judged efficient, rational and productive to the extent that they maximize money and power. That's the Old Bottom Line. Now Here is the NEW BOTTOM LINE for which we advocate: We believe that they should be judged rational, efficient and productive not only to the extent that they maximize money and power, but also to the extent that they maximize love and caring, ethical and ecological sensitivity and behavior, kindness and generosity, non-violence and peace, and to the extent that they enhance our capacities to respond to other human beings in a way that honors them as embodiments of the sacred, and enhances our capacities to respond to the earth and the universe with awe, wonder and radical amazement.


2. Challenging the misuse of religion, God and spirit by the Religious Right


Educating people of faith to the understanding that a serious commitment to God, religion and spirit should manifest in social activism aimed at peace, universal disarmament, social justice with a preferential option for the needs of the poor and the oppressed, a commitment to end poverty, hunger, homelessness, inadequate education and inadequate health care all around the world, and a commitment to nuclear non-proliferation, environmental protection and repair of the damage done to the planet by 150 years of environmentally irresponsible behavior in industrializing societies.


3. Challenging the many anti-religious and anti-spiritual assumptions and behaviors that have increasingly become part of the liberal culture


Challenging as well the extreme individualism and me-firstism that permeate all parts of the global market culture. We will educate people in social change movements to carefully distinguish between their legitimate critiques of the Religious Right and their illegitimate generalizing of those criticisms to all religious or spiritual beliefs and practices. We will help social change activists and others in the liberal and progressive culture become more conscious of and less afraid to affirm their own inner spiritual yearnings and to reconstitute a visionary progressive social movement that incorporates the spiritual dimension, of which the loving, spiritually elevating and connecting aspects of religion has been one expression (but so has the group-in-fusion experience of the movements of the 30's and the 60's and the communitarian aspirations of many other efforts--social healing and health care, progressive summer camps, the wide appeal of service and service learning, the women's spirituality movement etc).


from the Network of Spiritual Progressives website

Well, if you go on to read a summary of their Spiritual Covenant with America, they are admittedly and uncompromisingly idealistic. I tend to be weary of overly idealistic groups because of some hidden issue/tenet that is not immediately visible, but at least in my initial review of the group via the information provided on their website I haven't raised any red flags yet.

I do see some resistance though by those who advocate that their vision is impractical (which they address) as well as from those who might object to words like religious or spiritual (they address this as well), but it really seems consistent with my general political, social, and spiritual values (sans reading the book itself). Speaking of the book, I went through over forty reviews, most highly positive. The least favorable reviews are from people who disagree with his politics and religious views (no surprise there), neglecting other causes of the problems Lerner identifies, and offering overly simplistic/overly optimistic solutions. If you have anything to add from your own experiences with this or similar groups or comments on the book, please share.