The New Press, a non-profit publisher funded by socially & politically liberal causes, is launching a new line of books on religion designed specifically to critique conservative cores of various religions & to affirm the common prejudice that religion in general, & religions in particular, forment discrimination against gender, sexual orientation, & other minority groups.

Eight titles are slated to debut the new line, which is funded by a major grant from the Kendeda Sustainability Fund distributed by the liberal social justice organization the Tides Foundation.

Feminst religious scholar & activist Rita Brock will be the supervisor of the books, which will be divided into 2 series: one series will include books, each of which will address a different religion, designed to critique the core values & beliefs of major religions; the other series will focus on progressive religious social issues, particularly how the conservative cores of various religions oppress various minority groups. Brock announced, "Our plan is to break down the stereotype of religion as a right-wing phenomenon & to support progressive laypeople with materials that can help them make their case."

The New Press expects to publish 4 to 8 books per year in the new line, addressing Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, & Protestant Christianity. The first 2 books are from the Whose Religion series: Whose Church? A Concise Guide to Progressive Catholicism by Daniel C. Maguire & Whose Torah? A Concise Guide to Progressive Judaism by lesbian rabbi Rebecca T. Alpert. Brock, noting that all authors will be left-leaning, maverick religious scholars, concluded, "We like agitators for change." The New Press executive director Diane Wachtell, who joined editorial director Marc Favreau in hiring Brock, added, "We're out to reclaim progressive political values for religion in the contemporary world."

For the full story: New Press Launches Religion Line.