“Democracy and god have failed”— captures the spirit of this provocative collection of essays. Arguing that religion must be used for the expansion of democracy, Gods, Gays, and Guns: Essays on Religion and the Future of Democracy takes up the topics of gay marriage, economic justice, and social movements. Written in the Parisian cafes, London’s ghetto, and the aftermath of Haiti’s earthquake and post-Katrina New Orleans, Gods, Gays, and Guns is a spiritual tour-de-force— revealing a crisis of faith in religion and democracy. With an unflinching pen, IPS Associate Fellow, Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou challenges the reader to rethink the meaning of the role of religion in our global democracy.

Praise for book:
“Rev. Sekou is one of the most courageous and prophetic voices of our time. His allegiance to the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. is strong and his witness is real. Don’t miss this book!” -Cornel West, Professor of Religion, Princeton University

“The essays in Gods, Gays, and Guns are the result of deep immersion, in suffering and struggle, yes, but also in the ideas, political, theological, artistic, and above all democratic, that may make a difference. Sekou gives us something rarer and more valuable: a book of powerful questions“. -Jeff Sharlet, Author, New York Times bestseller The Family

“This is a hopeful book. The ‘occupy’ movement has stirred awareness here in America and elsewhere that we may be on the threshold of momentous change. But where will the fresh ideas, the leadership and, most importantly, the sustaining spirit for such a change originate? Rev. Sekou’s energetic, thoughtful and engaging book begins to answer some of these questions, and indeed the author himself embodies some of those answers.” -Harvey Cox, Hollis Professor of Divinity, Harvard University.

Click here for a 7 min clip of an interview with Rev. Sekou.

Co-sponsors: Institute for Policy Studies, Teaching for Change bookstore,and Busboys & Poets.