The Pro-Democracy Faith Movement

This report was developed through a project with Auburn Seminary, which for more than 200 years has equipped leaders of faith and moral courage who are on the front lines fighting for the health and wholeness of U.S. society.In summer 2020, the Center for American Progress interviewed 28 pro-democracy religious leaders of diverse faith backgrounds, some individually and some in groups, in an attempt to better understand the motivations of religious Americans who are driven to protect and uphold American democracy. The leaders were asked about the values underpinning their work for an inclusive democracy where everyone has a vote and a voice. Considering these conversations as a whole, the authors discerned five value-based themes crucial to this work: Building an inclusive democratic movement for a more inclusive democracy, Centering the experience of Black Americans, Grounding democracy in a shared sense of community, Being political but nonpartisan, and Meeting the urgency of the moment. This report explores each of these themes