https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/releases/2020/Q1/religion,-polarization,-and-the-public-square-held-at-purdue.html

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Six individuals from diverse religious viewpoints on Wednesday (Feb. 19) discussed “Religion, Polarization, and the Public Space” as part of Purdue University’s “Democracy, Civility, and Freedom of Expression,” a series of events aimed to engage people in these important societal topics.

The moderated talk took place in Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse. Amy Goodman, a host and executive producer of “Democracy Now!” moderated the panel discussion.

Panelists discussed the role of religion in the pursuit of democracy, civility and the freedom of expression and the challenges posed by increasing polarization in public discourse as it relates to religious identity and expression. A religiously diverse panel of well-known leaders explored this topic and others via conversation and contemplation. Panelists were:

* Arun Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and president of the Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute. Gandhi is a board member of the Parliament of the World’s Religions and founder of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, located at the University of Rochester in New York. He is involved in numerous social programs that address social and economic uplifting.

* Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu, race and gender justice activist. The daughter of Archbishop Desmond and Nomalizo Leah Tutu, the Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu is an ordained clergy in the Episcopal Church. She serves as missioner for racial and economic equity at the Cathedral of All Souls, in Asheville, North Carolina.

* Sarah Hurwitz, who served as a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama and as chief speechwriter for former first lady Michelle Obama. She recently wrote “Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life — in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There)” about her rediscovery of Judaism. She also worked on policy issues affecting young women and girls as a senior advisor to the White House Council on Women and Girls.

* Ron Reagan, who identifies as an atheist. Reagan, the son of the late President Ronald Reagan, has worked as a media commentator for numerous network news shows. He has hosted shows and programs throughout the years.

* Reza Aslan, an Iranian-American scholar of religious studies, writer, professor, religious scholar and television host. His latest book, “God: A Human History” — a New York Times bestseller — investigates how people have historically understood the divine by assigning it human traits and emotions. His book, “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth,” has been translated into dozens of languages around the world and optioned for a film.

* Melissa Rogers, visiting professor at Wake Forest University University Divinity School and senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institute.

The moderator, Goodman, has co-authored six New York Times bestsellers and has received numerous awards for her journalism. “Democracy Now!”, a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program airs on more than 1,400 public television and radio stations worldwide.