Feb 25, 2022
Religious nationalism is on the rise worldwide. In the U.S., it has primarily taken the form of White Christian Nationalism: the affiliation of being White and Christian with belonging and mattering in this country. This program explored the nature of global nationalism and its specific manifestation in the U.S. First, we heard from Dr. Mark Juergensmeyer, who is an expert who has been studying this trend for over thirty years. His keynote remarks were followed by a panel of diverse faith leaders who shared their views on building interfaith solidarity to resist the White Supremacist Christian ideology threatening our nation. This program was a forum for people of faith to learn, become activated, and feel equipped to respond together effectively.
Program Outline:
Opening Remarks
Rev.
David Lindsey, Executive Director, Interfaith Council
of Metropolitan Washington (IFC)
Keynote
“The Capitol Insurrection and the Global Rise of Religious
Nationalism”
Dr. Mark
Juergensmeyer, Founding Director of the Orfalea
Center of Global and International Studies at the University of
California Santa Barbara
Panel Presentations
Moderated by Rev. David Lindsey, IFC
“The Interfaith Imperative”
Rabbi Jack Moline – President, Interfaith
Alliance
“Doctrine of Discovery, Manifest Destiny and
Christian Nationalism: Nothing New.”
Charles
Watson Jr. – Director of Education, Baptist Joint
Committee for Religious Liberty
“The Pro-Democracy Faith Movement”
Maggie
Siddiqi – Senior Director, Religion and Faith,
Center for American Progress
“Religious Liberty and the Shortfall of
Advocacy”
Simran Singh – Vice Chairman, IRF
(International Religious Freedom) Secretariat