Includes Jewish, Evangelical, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu commentary
On January 20th, America begins the next chapter of our national story. In recognition of the particular challenges that face President Joseph Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, IFYC invited fifteen top civic and religious leaders of different faith traditions and political perspectives to offer their assessment of where our nation is and where we must go.
The resulting essays comprise IFYC’s newly published “State of the Interfaith Nation” on the media site “Interfaith America.” Contributors include Jonathan Greenblatt of the ADL who writes on the Hate Landscape, Reshma Saujani, from Girls Who Code who draws from her Hindu tradition and her belief in the power of women, Galen Carey from the National Association of Evangelicals who writes about Evangelical understandings of freedom, Manar Waheed from the ACLU who writes on the current state of Muslim legal rights, and John Wood, Jr. from Braver Angels who reflects on the foundations of Bridge Building in this moment.
Each writer offers a particular vantage point that, when taken collectively, builds a comprehensive picture of the interfaith state of our nation that is both sobering and hopeful. Mary Ellen Giess, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships who imagined and managed The State of The Interfaith Nation was inspired by the power of the essays and what they offer for this moment in history: “Now more than ever, we need diverse voices sharing wisdom from across our religious and civic landscape. Strengthening our democracy is going to require leadership and perspective from communities that represent America’s diversity. It was an honor to work with these individuals to bring their voices into conversation and hopefully, lay the groundwork for a path forward.”
State of the Interfaith Nation is a project of Interfaith America, a media platform hosted by IFYC that features stories and perspectives from faith and interfaith leaders across the country. The site is edited by Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, Senior Advisor for Public Affairs and Innovation at IFYC, who previously was Religion Editor at HuffPost.
IFYC is a national nonprofit that equips the next generation of citizens and professionals with the knowledge and skills needed for leadership in a religiously diverse world. Partnering with higher education institutions and civic organizations, IFYC is dedicated to making interfaith cooperation the norm and building Interfaith America in the 21st century. IFYC’s President and Founder is Dr. Eboo Patel.
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Contact
Paul Raushenbush
[email protected]
(646) 464-2882
