For more on this event, visit: https://bit.ly/2rnPwPJFor more on the Berkley Center, visit: https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/April 30, 2018 | MIT physicist and prolific writer Alan Lightman—a committed agnostic—poses questions commonly associated with religion from a physicist's perspective. This approach is strong in his new book, Searching for the Stars on an Island Off Maine, which the Guardian called “full of insight into some of the mysteries of the physical world, as well as the physics of mystery.” Columbia physicist Luca Matone—a committed Catholic who teaches at Regis High School in Manhattan—is a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, whose discoveries of gravitational waves and colliding neutron stars were each named “Breakthrough of the Year” by Science magazine (2016, 2017). Lightman and Matone will engage in a down-to-earth conversation about physics, spirituality, God, human life, and the universe. They will bring their distinctly different but congenial perspectives to the conversation, moderated by Berkley Center Senior Fellow Paul Elie.

For more on this event, visit: <a href="https://bit.ly/2rnPwPJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/2rnPwPJ</a> For more on the Berkley Center, visit: <a href="https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/</a> April 30, 2018 | MIT physicist and prolific writer Alan Lightman—a committed agnostic—poses questions commonly associated with religion from a physicist's perspective. This approach is strong in his new book, Searching for the Stars on an Island Off Maine, which the Guardian called “full of insight into some of the mysteries of the physical world, as well as the physics of mystery.” Columbia physicist Luca Matone—a committed Catholic who teaches at Regis High School in Manhattan—is a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, whose discoveries of gravitational waves and colliding neutron stars were each named “Breakthrough of the Year” by Science magazine (2016, 2017). Lightman and Matone will engage in a down-to-earth conversation about physics, spirituality, God, human life, and the universe. They will bring their distinctly different but congenial perspectives to the conversation, moderated by Berkley Center Senior Fellow Paul Elie.

Searching for Stars on an Island Off Maine: A Lyrical Meditation on Religion and Science

March 22, 2018 | The values of the American Creed—pluralism, diversity, and tolerance—sustain U.S. global leadership and provide an aspiration to others. These principles contribute to the appeal and influence of the United States on the global stage. Insidious intolerance and delegitimizing rhetoric domestically undermines these ideals and provides space for hate crimes and degrading actions, threatening to devalue the currency of U.S. power. This panel discussion examined the impact of subtle and overt forms of domestic religious intolerance on the U.S. image and ability to pursue our policy objectives abroad. Looking forward, panelists discussed what the U.S. government and civil society can do to shape the narrative, rhetoric, and policies in the United States to preserve these unique components of the nation's power.This event was co-sponsored by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs; Campus Ministry; the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies; the Center for Jewish Civilization; the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding; the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy; the Office of the Vice President for Global Engagement; and the Walsh School of Foreign Service.

March 22, 2018 | The values of the American Creed—pluralism, diversity, and tolerance—sustain U.S. global leadership and provide an aspiration to others. These principles contribute to the appeal and influence of the United States on the global stage. Insidious intolerance and delegitimizing rhetoric domestically undermines these ideals and provides space for hate crimes and degrading actions, threatening to devalue the currency of U.S. power. This panel discussion examined the impact of subtle and overt forms of domestic religious intolerance on the U.S. image and ability to pursue our policy objectives abroad. Looking forward, panelists discussed what the U.S. government and civil society can do to shape the narrative, rhetoric, and policies in the United States to preserve these unique components of the nation's power. This event was co-sponsored by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs; Campus Ministry; the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies; the Center for Jewish Civilization; the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding; the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy; the Office of the Vice President for Global Engagement; and the Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Religious Intolerance and America’s Image and Policies Abroad

March 26, 2018 | Since 9/11, repeated episodes of terrorism, together with the refugee crisis, have dramatically increased the divide between the Muslim communities and the majority non-Muslim populations in Europe. Meanwhile, the parallel rise of right-wing, nationalist political parties throughout the continent—often espousing anti-Muslim rhetoric—has shaken the foundation of the European Union to its very core.Akbar Ahmed and his team of researchers traveled across Europe for four years and interviewed Muslims and non-Muslims from all walks of life to investigate questions of Islam, immigration, and identity. Their findings reveal a complex story of the place of Islam in European history and civilization and expose both the misunderstandings and the opportunities for European countries and populations to improve their relationship with minority Muslim communities. Along with an analysis of what has gone wrong and why, Ahmed offered recommendations for promoting integration and pluralism in the twenty-first century in a conversation with Professor Jocelyne Cesari.

March 26, 2018 | Since 9/11, repeated episodes of terrorism, together with the refugee crisis, have dramatically increased the divide between the Muslim communities and the majority non-Muslim populations in Europe. Meanwhile, the parallel rise of right-wing, nationalist political parties throughout the continent—often espousing anti-Muslim rhetoric—has shaken the foundation of the European Union to its very core. Akbar Ahmed and his team of researchers traveled across Europe for four years and interviewed Muslims and non-Muslims from all walks of life to investigate questions of Islam, immigration, and identity. Their findings reveal a complex story of the place of Islam in European history and civilization and expose both the misunderstandings and the opportunities for European countries and populations to improve their relationship with minority Muslim communities. Along with an analysis of what has gone wrong and why, Ahmed offered recommendations for promoting integration and pluralism in the twenty-first century in a conversation with Professor Jocelyne Cesari.

Journey into Europe - Islam, Immigration, and Identity

Jonathan Franzen

March 20, 2018 | In this Faith and Culture series conversation, author and series moderator Paul Elie invites acclaimed novelist Jonathan Franzen to carry forward a conversation they began two decades ago, before the 2001 publication of Franzen's novel The Corrections, winner of the National Book Award in fiction and a worldwide bestseller. They will discuss fiction, contemporary affairs, and the religious imagination as they explore Franzen's most recent works—the novel Purity and the essay collection Farther Away.

A Conversation with Author Jonathan Franzen

March 16, 2018 | In 2016, Arturo Sosa, S.J., superior general of the Society of Jesus, named reconciliation as a top priority for Jesuits, stating that reconciliation requires that we “strive for reconciliation between human beings, reconciliation with God and reconciliation with the created world.” As a community of scholars, students, and staff, we continue to address reconciliation related to both historic and current events through Georgetown's Catholic and Jesuit mission. This difficult work requires open and frank dialogue on sensitive and challenging topics. The Doyle Program aims to foster and support these conversations across campus.This year’s Doyle Engaging Difference Symposium will bring together Jesuits, students, faculty, and staff at Georgetown to explore the task of putting reconciliation to work on our campus and in our world. Discussion will be centered on the following questions: How does the pursuit of a just society shape our academic mission? How do our teaching, learning, and research give voice to the mission of reconciliation? How can we mobilize our community’s diverse resources as we strive for peace and equity at Georgetown and beyond? Join us for a panel discussion followed by an audience conversation.Lunch will be served.This event is co-sponsored by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship. It is part of the Doyle Engaging Difference Program.

March 16, 2018 | In 2016, Arturo Sosa, S.J., superior general of the Society of Jesus, named reconciliation as a top priority for Jesuits, stating that reconciliation requires that we “strive for reconciliation between human beings, reconciliation with God and reconciliation with the created world.” As a community of scholars, students, and staff, we continue to address reconciliation related to both historic and current events through Georgetown's Catholic and Jesuit mission. This difficult work requires open and frank dialogue on sensitive and challenging topics. The Doyle Program aims to foster and support these conversations across campus. This year’s Doyle Engaging Difference Symposium will bring together Jesuits, students, faculty, and staff at Georgetown to explore the task of putting reconciliation to work on our campus and in our world. Discussion will be centered on the following questions: How does the pursuit of a just society shape our academic mission? How do our teaching, learning, and research give voice to the mission of reconciliation? How can we mobilize our community’s diverse resources as we strive for peace and equity at Georgetown and beyond? Join us for a panel discussion followed by an audience conversation. Lunch will be served. This event is co-sponsored by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship. It is part of the Doyle Engaging Difference Program.

2018 Doyle Symposium: Teaching and Learning for Reconciliation

December 6, 2017 | In their latest book Islam, Gender, and Democracy in Comparative Perspective (2017), contributors Jocelyne Cesari, José Casanova, and Katherine Marshall attempt to reframe the debate around Islam and women's rights within a broader perspective that challenges the often portrayed binary opposition between liberal advocates of secular democracy and Muslim religious opponents of of women's full equality. Bringing together scholars from a range of disciplines, the book's essays examine the complex and contingent historical relationships between religion, secularism, democracy, law, and gender equality in Muslim-majority countries as well as in minority contexts. Azza Karam, senior advisor on culture and social development at the United Nations Population Fund, joined the three authors for this book discussion.

Islam, Gender, and Democracy in Comparative Perspective

Tracy K. Smith

October 26, 2017 | Pulitzer Prize winner and U.S. poet laureate Tracy K. Smith was raised in a Baptist household, and her mother's devout faith shaped her sense of self, language, life, health, and the past. Her childhood experiences are the inspiration for much of her work, which has received national acclaim.In this Faith and Culture series conversation, author and series moderator Paul Elie will invite Smith to talk about her poetry; her searching memoir, Ordinary Light (2015); and her forthcoming book, Wade in the Water (2018). They will explore the role a religious sensibility plays in her work and discuss the challenge of communicating home truths to future generations.

October 26, 2017 | Pulitzer Prize winner and U.S. poet laureate Tracy K. Smith was raised in a Baptist household, and her mother's devout faith shaped her sense of self, language, life, health, and the past. Her childhood experiences are the inspiration for much of her work, which has received national acclaim. In this Faith and Culture series conversation, author and series moderator Paul Elie will invite Smith to talk about her poetry; her searching memoir, Ordinary Light (2015); and her forthcoming book, Wade in the Water (2018). They will explore the role a religious sensibility plays in her work and discuss the challenge of communicating home truths to future generations.

A Conversation with U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith

October 20, 2017 | Philippa Levine’s work underscores the long association between nakedness, race, and slavery. She argues that nakedness was a key historical construct on which morality, aesthetics, and scientific practice have drawn significantly. During this talk, Levine discussed these ideas as she engaged the audience in a conversation around the question provocatively asked by Marcus Woods: “What do we want to learn from the visual archive of slavery?” This event was co-sponsored by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the Center for Australian, New Zealand, and Pacific Studies.

October 20, 2017 | Philippa Levine’s work underscores the long association between nakedness, race, and slavery. She argues that nakedness was a key historical construct on which morality, aesthetics, and scientific practice have drawn significantly. During this talk, Levine discussed these ideas as she engaged the audience in a conversation around the question provocatively asked by Marcus Woods: “What do we want to learn from the visual archive of slavery?” This event was co-sponsored by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the Center for Australian, New Zealand, and Pacific Studies.

Slavery and the Art of Race

October 12, 2017 | Featuring Reverend Ken Bedell. In his latest book, Realizing the Civil Rights Dream: Diagnosing and Treating American Racism (2017), Ken Bedell argues that American society has not moved beyond white supremacy, suggesting that the ideal of “equality for all” primarily benefits white society and culture. Through examining our failure, Bedell offers hope and a model for cultural change, which includes identifying the goals for a twenty-first century civil rights movement and defining the role of the academy in combating racism. Drawing on his lifetime of experience as a scholar, minister, and Department of Education administrator, author Ken Bedell led a lunchtime discussion about the crisis of racism in America, addressing questions such as: Why is it so difficult to make civil rights a reality for all Americans? And how can we fulfill the dream of full participation for all in America's future?

October 12, 2017 | Featuring Reverend Ken Bedell. In his latest book, Realizing the Civil Rights Dream: Diagnosing and Treating American Racism (2017), Ken Bedell argues that American society has not moved beyond white supremacy, suggesting that the ideal of “equality for all” primarily benefits white society and culture. Through examining our failure, Bedell offers hope and a model for cultural change, which includes identifying the goals for a twenty-first century civil rights movement and defining the role of the academy in combating racism. Drawing on his lifetime of experience as a scholar, minister, and Department of Education administrator, author Ken Bedell led a lunchtime discussion about the crisis of racism in America, addressing questions such as: Why is it so difficult to make civil rights a reality for all Americans? And how can we fulfill the dream of full participation for all in America's future?

A Conversation on Diagnosing and Treating American Racism

June 2, 2017 | Can the new science of mind and brain help overcome longstanding perceived divisions between believers of different faiths? Members of one faith may think of members of another faith as fundamentally different from themselves. Viewed through the lens of modern cognitive and brain science, however, the basic characteristics of a brain are the same no matter where it lives or in which religious context it develops. Thus, it is likely that the brains of diverse believers actually manifest belief similarly, and that shared neuro-cognitive pathways lead to the development of belief across disparate faiths.“The Cognition of Belief” conference will convene leading scholars on religious cognition and feature scientific research demonstrating the embeddedness of religious belief in basic elements of human cognition, which are common to human beings across cultures and faiths. This meeting is the capstone convening of a larger project on religious cognition in the United States and Afghanistan, led by a Georgetown University research team and funded by the John Templeton Foundation.

June 2, 2017 | Can the new science of mind and brain help overcome longstanding perceived divisions between believers of different faiths? Members of one faith may think of members of another faith as fundamentally different from themselves. Viewed through the lens of modern cognitive and brain science, however, the basic characteristics of a brain are the same no matter where it lives or in which religious context it develops. Thus, it is likely that the brains of diverse believers actually manifest belief similarly, and that shared neuro-cognitive pathways lead to the development of belief across disparate faiths. “The Cognition of Belief” conference will convene leading scholars on religious cognition and feature scientific research demonstrating the embeddedness of religious belief in basic elements of human cognition, which are common to human beings across cultures and faiths. This meeting is the capstone convening of a larger project on religious cognition in the United States and Afghanistan, led by a Georgetown University research team and funded by the John Templeton Foundation.

The Cognition of Belief panel 1

Religion and Culture in Dialogue

Pankaj Mishra

March 2, 2017 | Political systems across the world have seen stunning upheavals in recent years, as voters fueled by anger and frustration have upset the established order. The historic Brexit vote, the election of Donald Trump, and the growing popularity of right-wing political parties across Europe serve as just a few examples of this global phenomenon.Pankaj Mishra—one of the most original and incisive public intellectuals working in English today—came to Georgetown for a public conversation centered on his acclaimed new book, Age of Anger: A History of the Present. In the book Mishra links up the political anger in the United States, the United Kingdom, and in right-wing-friendly France to the anger in Turkey, India, and elsewhere, and proposes that all this anger has a common source: the resentment articulated by Rousseau and then by Nietzsche, the anger of “young provincials against a largely metropolitan civilization of slick movers and shakers that seemed to deny them an authentic and rooted existence.” Mishra was in conversation with author and Berkley Center Senior Fellow Paul Elie, editor of Mishra’s books Temptations of the West and From the Ruins of Empire.

March 2, 2017 | Political systems across the world have seen stunning upheavals in recent years, as voters fueled by anger and frustration have upset the established order. The historic Brexit vote, the election of Donald Trump, and the growing popularity of right-wing political parties across Europe serve as just a few examples of this global phenomenon. Pankaj Mishra—one of the most original and incisive public intellectuals working in English today—came to Georgetown for a public conversation centered on his acclaimed new book, Age of Anger: A History of the Present. In the book Mishra links up the political anger in the United States, the United Kingdom, and in right-wing-friendly France to the anger in Turkey, India, and elsewhere, and proposes that all this anger has a common source: the resentment articulated by Rousseau and then by Nietzsche, the anger of “young provincials against a largely metropolitan civilization of slick movers and shakers that seemed to deny them an authentic and rooted existence.” Mishra was in conversation with author and Berkley Center Senior Fellow Paul Elie, editor of Mishra’s books Temptations of the West and From the Ruins of Empire.

Age of Anger: Pankaj Mishra

February 14, 2017 | During its seventh year, the Education and Social Justice Project awarded summer fellowships to five students who spent three weeks with institutions engaged in efforts to promote social justice through education in Rwanda, Jordan, Kenya, Slovenia, and Mexico. The 2016 fellows presented their research findings and experiences abroad before answering questions from interested applicants for the upcoming year.Mariam Diefallah worked in Rwanda and discovered that education is a viable method to heal the social and psychological challenges associated with transgenerational trauma. Mariam's research reveals that Jesuit education enables students to create a positive identity and helps with the reconciliation process. Jonathan Thrall focused his research on the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Jordan. After investigating the multiple forms of discrimination that refugees in Jordan encounter, Jonathan argues that JRS plays an integral role in community building and engendering inclusivity and diversity during and after the refugee resettlement process. Khaliyah Legette conducted interviews and research in Kenya. Her research reveals that three separate programs established by Father Angelo D’Agostino, S.J., which focus on holistic healing for children with HIV/AIDS, enhance these children's abilities to navigate Kenyan social dynamics. Sarah Jannarone examined the only Jesuit-run residential college in Slovenia. She argues that their Magis program offers services to students that integrate academic, spiritual, and personal formation, including professional growth opportunities, thereby educating the whole person through informal education programs. Finally, Carolyn Vilter spent three weeks conducting research in Mexico City to understand how different stakeholders view and address the challenges associated with Central American migration through Mexico.

February 14, 2017 | During its seventh year, the Education and Social Justice Project awarded summer fellowships to five students who spent three weeks with institutions engaged in efforts to promote social justice through education in Rwanda, Jordan, Kenya, Slovenia, and Mexico. The 2016 fellows presented their research findings and experiences abroad before answering questions from interested applicants for the upcoming year. Mariam Diefallah worked in Rwanda and discovered that education is a viable method to heal the social and psychological challenges associated with transgenerational trauma. Mariam's research reveals that Jesuit education enables students to create a positive identity and helps with the reconciliation process. Jonathan Thrall focused his research on the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Jordan. After investigating the multiple forms of discrimination that refugees in Jordan encounter, Jonathan argues that JRS plays an integral role in community building and engendering inclusivity and diversity during and after the refugee resettlement process. Khaliyah Legette conducted interviews and research in Kenya. Her research reveals that three separate programs established by Father Angelo D’Agostino, S.J., which focus on holistic healing for children with HIV/AIDS, enhance these children's abilities to navigate Kenyan social dynamics. Sarah Jannarone examined the only Jesuit-run residential college in Slovenia. She argues that their Magis program offers services to students that integrate academic, spiritual, and personal formation, including professional growth opportunities, thereby educating the whole person through informal education programs. Finally, Carolyn Vilter spent three weeks conducting research in Mexico City to understand how different stakeholders view and address the challenges associated with Central American migration through Mexico.

2016 Education and Social Justice Project Presentations

The Cognition of Belief panel 2

March 26, 2009 | Over the course of the last half-century, evidence from China has been used first to support and later to confound simplistic arguments about the decline of religion in the face of modernity. Without launching a defense of secularization theory in general, Dr. Michael Szonyi argued that there is something to be gained from situating scholarship on Chinese religion in relation to recent debates in the theory. He suggested on the one hand that secularization theory can be a useful tool in understanding the modern history of religions in China and on the other that thinking about what secularization has meant in China is crucial to a comparative global history of religion and modernity. He also argued that attention to the course of secularization both as a historical process and as a political ideology may help us better understand the religious policies of the People's Republic of China today.

Secularization Theory and the Study of Chinese Religions

September 24, 2014 | What are the most pressing issues at the intersection of faith and gender, and how can women of different faiths and views derive strength and meaning from their respective religions? A conference cosponsored by the the new web magazine altFem (from the founders of altMuslimah.com and altCatholicah.com), the Berkley Center’s project on Women, Religion, and the Family, and the World Faiths Development Dialogue explored these important questions. Panel discussions focused on: an examination and reframing of feminism to accommodate religious traditions; gender norms in religious dating and marriage; and achieving work-life balance among working mothers.Ashley McGuire, co-founder, altFem Magazine (moderator)Carrie Severino, chief counsel and policy director, Judicial Crisis NetworkJamillah Karim, independent scholar (formerly Associate Professor of Religion, Spelman College)Melissa Langsam Braunstein, staff writer, Acculturated and contributing writer, Kveller

September 24, 2014 | What are the most pressing issues at the intersection of faith and gender, and how can women of different faiths and views derive strength and meaning from their respective religions? A conference cosponsored by the the new web magazine altFem (from the founders of <a href="http://altMuslimah.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">altMuslimah.com</a> and <a href="http://altCatholicah.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">altCatholicah.com</a>), the Berkley Center’s project on Women, Religion, and the Family, and the World Faiths Development Dialogue explored these important questions. Panel discussions focused on: an examination and reframing of feminism to accommodate religious traditions; gender norms in religious dating and marriage; and achieving work-life balance among working mothers. Ashley McGuire, co-founder, altFem Magazine (moderator) Carrie Severino, chief counsel and policy director, Judicial Crisis Network Jamillah Karim, independent scholar (formerly Associate Professor of Religion, Spelman College) Melissa Langsam Braunstein, staff writer, Acculturated and contributing writer, Kveller

Motherhood as Important to Society and Empowering to Women

Jim Wallis

October 15, 2013 | It is often said that racism is America's "original sin." In 2013, we mark 150 years since the Emancipation Proclamation and 50 years since the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King's momentous "I have a dream" speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Yet race remains salient in American public life. This was never more evident than in the impassioned reactions to the shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida last spring and the acquittal of George Zimmerman. How is religion a force for racial reconciliation? How is religion involved in maintaining racial division? Does 11:00 on Sunday morning remain, as Dr. King lamented in a 1968 sermon at the Washington National Cathedral, "the most segregated hour in America?" As immigration and changing demographics have reshaped the religious landscape, how will Christians relate to their neighbors of other faiths? We will study important stories of shared history, theological similarities and differences, and aspirations for social justice that both Christians and Muslims share as communities of faith. Religious differences provide fertile ground for animosity and misunderstanding. Over the years, both Muslims and Christians have dealt with extremists who distort the character of true belief. Significant, intelligent dialogue and the development of authentic friendships across religious lines are key to deepening Christians' and Muslims' faith.Reverend Jim Wallis is a bestselling author, public theologian, and commentator on religion and public life, faith, and politics. Wallis is the president and founder of Sojourners, a progressive Christian grassroots movement that advocates spirituality and social change in America. He is editor-in-chief of Sojourners magazine and a prolific author. His latest book is On God's Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn't Learned about Serving the Common Good (2013). Other publications include Rediscovering Values: On Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street — A Moral Compass for the New Economy (2010) and The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith and Politics in a Post-Religious Right America (2008). Since 2010 Wallis has served as a research fellow and visiting professor in the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs.

October 15, 2013 | It is often said that racism is America's "original sin." In 2013, we mark 150 years since the Emancipation Proclamation and 50 years since the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King's momentous "I have a dream" speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Yet race remains salient in American public life. This was never more evident than in the impassioned reactions to the shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida last spring and the acquittal of George Zimmerman. How is religion a force for racial reconciliation? How is religion involved in maintaining racial division? Does 11:00 on Sunday morning remain, as Dr. King lamented in a 1968 sermon at the Washington National Cathedral, "the most segregated hour in America?" As immigration and changing demographics have reshaped the religious landscape, how will Christians relate to their neighbors of other faiths? We will study important stories of shared history, theological similarities and differences, and aspirations for social justice that both Christians and Muslims share as communities of faith. Religious differences provide fertile ground for animosity and misunderstanding. Over the years, both Muslims and Christians have dealt with extremists who distort the character of true belief. Significant, intelligent dialogue and the development of authentic friendships across religious lines are key to deepening Christians' and Muslims' faith. Reverend Jim Wallis is a bestselling author, public theologian, and commentator on religion and public life, faith, and politics. Wallis is the president and founder of Sojourners, a progressive Christian grassroots movement that advocates spirituality and social change in America. He is editor-in-chief of Sojourners magazine and a prolific author. His latest book is On God's Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn't Learned about Serving the Common Good (2013). Other publications include Rediscovering Values: On Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street — A Moral Compass for the New Economy (2010) and The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith and Politics in a Post-Religious Right America (2008). Since 2010 Wallis has served as a research fellow and visiting professor in the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs.

Jim Wallis on Race and Religion

April 3, 2014 | Interfaith marriages are on the rise in the United States, with some sources estimating that they make up as much as 45 percent of marriages. Two experts on the subject—Erika Seamon, author of Interfaith Marriage in America: The Transformation of Religion and Christianity, and Susan Katz Miller, author of Being Both: Embracing Two Religions in One Interfaith Family discussed their research on interfaith marriages, the potential benefits and challenges of these unions, and their predictions on the future of interfaith cooperation. Several Georgetown students also shared their personal experiences of being in interfaith families or relationships.

Interfaith Marriage in America: Transforming Religion and Families

October 23, 2014 | Since the Arab Awakening, the question of women's rights has become, in the view of Western commentators, the litmus test for Muslim societies in the age of democracy and liberalism. The issue is often framed as the opposition between liberal advocates of secular democracy and religious opponents of women's full equality. A panel of scholars, including the Berkley Center's José Casanova and Jocelyne Cesari, will examine this binary opposition and reframe the debate around Islam and women's rights. Participants will provide a broader comparison across religious traditions and cultures through a discussion of religion, secularism, democracy, and gender equality in France, Iran, Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt, and the United States.This event is cosponsored by the Berkley Center and the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security.

October 23, 2014 | Since the Arab Awakening, the question of women's rights has become, in the view of Western commentators, the litmus test for Muslim societies in the age of democracy and liberalism. The issue is often framed as the opposition between liberal advocates of secular democracy and religious opponents of women's full equality. A panel of scholars, including the Berkley Center's José Casanova and Jocelyne Cesari, will examine this binary opposition and reframe the debate around Islam and women's rights. Participants will provide a broader comparison across religious traditions and cultures through a discussion of religion, secularism, democracy, and gender equality in France, Iran, Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt, and the United States. This event is cosponsored by the Berkley Center and the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security.

Islam, Gender, and Democracy

April 25, 2013 | In the United States and many other countries, debates about homosexuality have been prominent in the public sphere for decades. In China they are new. What was once a taboo topic is now emerging in traditional and social media. And as in the United States, controversy has assumed a religious dimension centered on Christianity. Some members of a growing and increasingly vocal Evangelical community—including popular figures in the world of entertainment—have publicly condemned homosexuality as sinful. At the same time, China has seen an upsurge of gay and lesbian participation in religious and spiritual movements, including Christianity.Huang Ping, assistant professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Berkley Center post-doctoral fellow, discussed how these developments are transforming the cultural, social, and religious landscape in China in new and fascinating ways.

April 25, 2013 | In the United States and many other countries, debates about homosexuality have been prominent in the public sphere for decades. In China they are new. What was once a taboo topic is now emerging in traditional and social media. And as in the United States, controversy has assumed a religious dimension centered on Christianity. Some members of a growing and increasingly vocal Evangelical community—including popular figures in the world of entertainment—have publicly condemned homosexuality as sinful. At the same time, China has seen an upsurge of gay and lesbian participation in religious and spiritual movements, including Christianity. Huang Ping, assistant professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Berkley Center post-doctoral fellow, discussed how these developments are transforming the cultural, social, and religious landscape in China in new and fascinating ways.

Homosexuality in China: An Emergent Social and Religious Controversy

October 14, 2015 | Political insecurity, the departure of international forces, a decrease in funding for socio-economic programs, and the subsequent decline in social services provided by national and international NGOs in Afghanistan are projected to create a negative impact on the lives of the Afghan people—and children in particular—in coming years. A panel of contributors to Children of Afghanistan: The Path to Peace (edited by Jennifer Heath and Ashraf Zahedi), focused on Afghan children’s resilience. Panelists discussed the ways in which access to social services and educational programs, along with implementation of well-designed public policies, can significantly improve the lives of Afghan children and their participation in building a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan. Participants also explored the range of issues that impact children’s lives and take stock of what has been achieved for Afghan children during the last 14 years. They addressed the social, economic, political, and legal changes necessary for creating permanent change and opportunities for young people in Afghanistan.

October 14, 2015 | Political insecurity, the departure of international forces, a decrease in funding for socio-economic programs, and the subsequent decline in social services provided by national and international NGOs in Afghanistan are projected to create a negative impact on the lives of the Afghan people—and children in particular—in coming years. A panel of contributors to Children of Afghanistan: The Path to Peace (edited by Jennifer Heath and Ashraf Zahedi), focused on Afghan children’s resilience. Panelists discussed the ways in which access to social services and educational programs, along with implementation of well-designed public policies, can significantly improve the lives of Afghan children and their participation in building a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan. Participants also explored the range of issues that impact children’s lives and take stock of what has been achieved for Afghan children during the last 14 years. They addressed the social, economic, political, and legal changes necessary for creating permanent change and opportunities for young people in Afghanistan.

The Future of Afghan Children

Paul Elie

Alice McDermott

April 22, 2013 | In this seventh event in Georgetown's Faith &amp; Culture series, novelist Alice McDermott discussed her body of work, its sources in her Catholic faith and in the modern literary tradition, and her forthcoming novel, Someone. The Berkley Center's Paul Elie lead the conversation. Alice McDermott is an award-winning author and the Richard A. Macksey Professor for Distinguished Teaching in the Humanities at John Hopkins University. Her novels include: A Bigamist's Daughter (1982), That Night (1987), At Weddings and Wakes (1992), Charming Billy (1998), Child of My Heart (2002), and After This (2006). Her seventh novel, Someone, will be published in September.Paul Elie is a senior fellow at the Berkley Center and the moderator of the university's Faith &amp; Culture lecture series, sponsored by the Office of the President. He is the author of two books: The Life You Save May Be Your Own (2003), a group portrait of four American Catholic writers, and Reinventing Bach (2012), an account of the transformation of Bach's music in our time by great musicians working with new technology. Both books were National Book Critics Circle Award finalists.

April 22, 2013 | In this seventh event in Georgetown's Faith &amp; Culture series, novelist Alice McDermott discussed her body of work, its sources in her Catholic faith and in the modern literary tradition, and her forthcoming novel, Someone. The Berkley Center's Paul Elie lead the conversation. Alice McDermott is an award-winning author and the Richard A. Macksey Professor for Distinguished Teaching in the Humanities at John Hopkins University. Her novels include: A Bigamist's Daughter (1982), That Night (1987), At Weddings and Wakes (1992), Charming Billy (1998), Child of My Heart (2002), and After This (2006). Her seventh novel, Someone, will be published in September. Paul Elie is a senior fellow at the Berkley Center and the moderator of the university's Faith &amp; Culture lecture series, sponsored by the Office of the President. He is the author of two books: The Life You Save May Be Your Own (2003), a group portrait of four American Catholic writers, and Reinventing Bach (2012), an account of the transformation of Bach's music in our time by great musicians working with new technology. Both books were National Book Critics Circle Award finalists.

Faith and Culture Lecture Series featuring Paul Elie and Alice McDermott

April 8, 2010 | Jewish feminism has existed in many forms since the 19th century, but it took a particular turn during the late 1960s in response to the early stirrings of second wave American feminism. Its effects were more radical and far reaching within Judaism than any previous movement because it challenged fundamental assumptions about gender and Jewish law that were grounded in the western enlightenment. Riv-Ellen Prell examined the ways in which gendered boundaries have challenged efforts to create American Jewish practices since the late 19th century and why Jewish feminism(s) continues to complicate, rather than resolve, the challenge. She discussed the meaning of equality in a pluralist system in order to understand the cultural dynamics of boundaries. The discussion drew on both ethnographic studies of American Jewish women in egalitarian Jewish communities and Jewish feminist writing about equality.Riv-Ellen Prell, an anthropologist, is Professor of American Studies at the University of Minnesota where she is affiliated with the Center for Jewish Studies and the Department of Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies. Among her publications are Gender, Class and Jewishness: New Approaches to the Study of Identity (2011), Fighting to Become Americans: Jews, Gender, and the Anxiety of Assimilation (1999), and Prayer and Community: the Havurah in American Judaism (1989). Her edited volumes include Women Remaking American Judaism (2007) and Interpreting Women's Lives: Personal Narratives and Feminist Theory (1989). She is also working on a forthcoming book on Jewish youth, cultural citizenship, and the post-war period in the United States. Prell holds a BA from the University of Southern California and a MA and PhD from the University of Chicago.

April 8, 2010 | Jewish feminism has existed in many forms since the 19th century, but it took a particular turn during the late 1960s in response to the early stirrings of second wave American feminism. Its effects were more radical and far reaching within Judaism than any previous movement because it challenged fundamental assumptions about gender and Jewish law that were grounded in the western enlightenment. Riv-Ellen Prell examined the ways in which gendered boundaries have challenged efforts to create American Jewish practices since the late 19th century and why Jewish feminism(s) continues to complicate, rather than resolve, the challenge. She discussed the meaning of equality in a pluralist system in order to understand the cultural dynamics of boundaries. The discussion drew on both ethnographic studies of American Jewish women in egalitarian Jewish communities and Jewish feminist writing about equality. Riv-Ellen Prell, an anthropologist, is Professor of American Studies at the University of Minnesota where she is affiliated with the Center for Jewish Studies and the Department of Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies. Among her publications are Gender, Class and Jewishness: New Approaches to the Study of Identity (2011), Fighting to Become Americans: Jews, Gender, and the Anxiety of Assimilation (1999), and Prayer and Community: the Havurah in American Judaism (1989). Her edited volumes include Women Remaking American Judaism (2007) and Interpreting Women's Lives: Personal Narratives and Feminist Theory (1989). She is also working on a forthcoming book on Jewish youth, cultural citizenship, and the post-war period in the United States. Prell holds a BA from the University of Southern California and a MA and PhD from the University of Chicago.

Gendered Boundaries and Jewish Transformations: The Cultural Complexity of Jewish Feminism

September 24, 2014 | What are the most pressing issues at the intersection of faith and gender, and how can women of different faiths and views derive strength and meaning from their respective religions? A conference cosponsored by the the new web magazine altFem (from the founders of altMuslimah.com and altCatholicah.com), the Berkley Center’s project on Women, Religion, and the Family, and the World Faiths Development Dialogue explored these important questions. Panel discussions focused on: an examination and reframing of feminism to accommodate religious traditions; gender norms in religious dating and marriage; and achieving work-life balance among working mothers.Crystal Corman, program manager, World Faiths Development Dialogue (moderator)Susan Katz Miller, author of Being Both: Embracing Two Religions in One Interfaith FamilySalma Abugidier, columnist, AltMuslimah and founding board member, Peaceful Families ProjectMollie Ziegler Hemingway, senior editor, The Federalist

September 24, 2014 | What are the most pressing issues at the intersection of faith and gender, and how can women of different faiths and views derive strength and meaning from their respective religions? A conference cosponsored by the the new web magazine altFem (from the founders of <a href="http://altMuslimah.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">altMuslimah.com</a> and <a href="http://altCatholicah.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">altCatholicah.com</a>), the Berkley Center’s project on Women, Religion, and the Family, and the World Faiths Development Dialogue explored these important questions. Panel discussions focused on: an examination and reframing of feminism to accommodate religious traditions; gender norms in religious dating and marriage; and achieving work-life balance among working mothers. Crystal Corman, program manager, World Faiths Development Dialogue (moderator) Susan Katz Miller, author of Being Both: Embracing Two Religions in One Interfaith Family Salma Abugidier, columnist, AltMuslimah and founding board member, Peaceful Families Project Mollie Ziegler Hemingway, senior editor, The Federalist

Gender Norms in Religious Dating and Marriage

November 8, 2011 | One year out from the 2012 presidential election, Public Religion Research Institute released the findings of the 2011 American Values Survey, a major new public opinion survey that provides a window into what Americans think about the state of the economy, the GOP primary field, and the Obama presidency. This major new survey, along with PRRI's panel of experts, explored the consequences of the misgivings some key groups have toward Mitt Romney's Mormon faith, and examined the roots of unfavorable evaluations of the Obama presidency. The survey also provides new findings on attitudes about economic inequality and equal opportunity, values that animate the swell of public protests in the Occupy Wall Street movement and resonate with Americans generally, but do not strike a chord with the Tea Party movement. The American Values Survey, which is conducted by PRRI each fall, is a large, nationally representative public opinion survey of American attitudes on important issues at the intersection of religion, values, and politics.

The 2011 American Values Survey Launch

November 11, 2015 | In their standout new book The Fellowship, Philip and Carol Zaleski tell the story of the lively group of English friends and writers whose members produced The Hobbit, Mere Christianity, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and other great works at the intersection of literature and religious belief. The Zaleskis will share excerpts from the book and engage in a discussion with author and Berkley Center senior fellow Paul Elie, who arranged the book’s publication.

The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings

September 24, 2014 | What are the most pressing issues at the intersection of faith and gender, and how can women of different faiths and views derive strength and meaning from their respective religions? A conference cosponsored by the the new web magazine altFem (from the founders of altMuslimah.com and altCatholicah.com), the Berkley Center’s project on Women, Religion, and the Family, and the World Faiths Development Dialogue explored these important questions. Panel discussions focused on: an examination and reframing of feminism to accommodate religious traditions; gender norms in religious dating and marriage; and achieving work-life balance among working mothers.Asma Uddin &amp; Ashley McGuire, co-founders, altFem Magazine Katherine Marshall, executive director, World Faiths Development Dialogue and senior fellow, Berkley Center Aisha Rahman, executive director, Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights (moderator)Neylan McBaine, founder, The Mormon Women Project and author of Women at Church: Magnifying LDS Women’s Local ImpactChristy Vines, executive director, Center for Women, Faith &amp; Leadership, Institute for Global EngagementShahed Amanullah, CEO &amp; co-founder of LaunchPosseEve Tushnet, author of Gay and Catholic: Accepting My Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith

September 24, 2014 | What are the most pressing issues at the intersection of faith and gender, and how can women of different faiths and views derive strength and meaning from their respective religions? A conference cosponsored by the the new web magazine altFem (from the founders of <a href="http://altMuslimah.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">altMuslimah.com</a> and <a href="http://altCatholicah.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">altCatholicah.com</a>), the Berkley Center’s project on Women, Religion, and the Family, and the World Faiths Development Dialogue explored these important questions. Panel discussions focused on: an examination and reframing of feminism to accommodate religious traditions; gender norms in religious dating and marriage; and achieving work-life balance among working mothers. Asma Uddin &amp; Ashley McGuire, co-founders, altFem Magazine Katherine Marshall, executive director, World Faiths Development Dialogue and senior fellow, Berkley Center Aisha Rahman, executive director, Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights (moderator) Neylan McBaine, founder, The Mormon Women Project and author of Women at Church: Magnifying LDS Women’s Local Impact Christy Vines, executive director, Center for Women, Faith &amp; Leadership, Institute for Global Engagement Shahed Amanullah, CEO &amp; co-founder of LaunchPosse Eve Tushnet, author of Gay and Catholic: Accepting My Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith

A More Inclusive Feminism

February 23, 2009 | The field of neuroscience has emerged as one of the most promising and potentially fruitful areas for engagement between Buddhism and modern science. Ongoing conversations between scientists and Buddhist scholars, many featuring the personal participation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, have moved from the realm of theoretical discussion into actual clinical research. Today, rigorous experiments involve Buddhist monks not simply as subjects to be investigated but as active participants in the design of experimental protocols. These collaborations expand the conceptual frameworks within which we examine and understand mental phenomena. During this talk, Geshe Thupten Jinpa reviewed the current state of the field, which some have dubbed "contemplative science," and raised critical questions pertaining to this enterprise. What is the status of the big questions like karma and rebirth in this dialogue? Can Buddhism and science ever agree on the understanding of the nature of consciousness? Can this dialogue expand the horizons of science, both in terms of its method and regulative principles, when it comes to the study of our mental life? Geshe Thupten Jinpa has served as the principal translator for the Dalai Lama for over twenty years. He earned the prestigious Geshe Lharampa degree from the Ganden Monastic University and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Cambridge University. Jinpa is presently an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Religious Studies at McGill University and a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research at Stanford University's School of Medicine. In addition to translating and editing many books by the Dalai Lama, Jinpa is the founding director of the Institute of Tibetan Classics. His own publications include Self, Reality and Reason in Tibetan Philosophy: Tsongkhapa's Quest for the Middle Way (2002), Mind Training: The Great Collection (2005), and The Book of Kadam: The Core Texts (2008).

February 23, 2009 | The field of neuroscience has emerged as one of the most promising and potentially fruitful areas for engagement between Buddhism and modern science. Ongoing conversations between scientists and Buddhist scholars, many featuring the personal participation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, have moved from the realm of theoretical discussion into actual clinical research. Today, rigorous experiments involve Buddhist monks not simply as subjects to be investigated but as active participants in the design of experimental protocols. These collaborations expand the conceptual frameworks within which we examine and understand mental phenomena. During this talk, Geshe Thupten Jinpa reviewed the current state of the field, which some have dubbed "contemplative science," and raised critical questions pertaining to this enterprise. What is the status of the big questions like karma and rebirth in this dialogue? Can Buddhism and science ever agree on the understanding of the nature of consciousness? Can this dialogue expand the horizons of science, both in terms of its method and regulative principles, when it comes to the study of our mental life? Geshe Thupten Jinpa has served as the principal translator for the Dalai Lama for over twenty years. He earned the prestigious Geshe Lharampa degree from the Ganden Monastic University and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Cambridge University. Jinpa is presently an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Religious Studies at McGill University and a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research at Stanford University's School of Medicine. In addition to translating and editing many books by the Dalai Lama, Jinpa is the founding director of the Institute of Tibetan Classics. His own publications include Self, Reality and Reason in Tibetan Philosophy: Tsongkhapa's Quest for the Middle Way (2002), Mind Training: The Great Collection (2005), and The Book of Kadam: The Core Texts (2008).

Buddhism and Science: How Far Can the Dialogue Proceed? (with Geshe Thupten Jinpa)

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