Americans today are deeply divided. As the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship recently noted, “When Americans are asked what unites us across our differences, the increasingly common answer is nothing.” Nowhere has this seemed more true than when it comes to religion. Religion has played a crucial role in promoting conflict and polarization, yet religious communities are an essential part of bridging current social and political divides. This panel of religious leaders and experts intends to foster thinking about ways that religious communities might become spaces that bridge divides, rather than make them deeper—bridge building that is located in a larger sense of civic engagement and community. The panel is inspired by the recent report published by the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship convened by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, “Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century.”
Prof. Marie Griffith, Director of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics, will frame the discussion and the Rev. Dr. Serene Jones will moderate the discussion with panelists to include:
The Rev. Traci Blackmon, Executive Minister of Justice & Witness Ministries, United Church of Christ
Prof. David Campbell, Packey J. Dee Professor of American Democracy at the University of Notre Dame
Sr. Simone Campbell, Former Executive Director NETWORK Lobby for Social Catholic Justice
Rabbi Rolando Matalon, Senior Rabbi at B’nai Jeshurun
Iman Eldin Susa, St. Louis Islamic Center NUR
This panel discussion was organized by the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and Union Theological Seminary.
The John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics is supportive of the Washington University in St. Louis COVID-19 policies and will continue to provide live-streamed events this semester using Zoom.We very much miss seeing you in person and hope you are doing well in these uncertain times. Until we can greet you in person, we encourage you to stay connected by joining us for these virtual events, following us on Facebook and Twitter, and reading new weekly content from our online journal Religion & Politics.
