2023 Conference: Religion's Refusal to Die

Thu, April 20, 2023 3:30 PM - Fri, April 21, 2023 5:00 PM at American Enterprise Institute, Washington DC

 

This year's conference is hosted in partnership with the American Enterprise Institute. All events will be held at AEI headquarters, 1789 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 

As always, the conference will be free and open to the public.

Please RSVP here to attend.

 

Conference Program:

"God is dead" - or so Friedrich Nietzsche famously said toward the end of the 19th century. A century earlier, Jean-Jacques Rousseau observed that "religion, discredited everywhere by philosophy, had lost its ascendacy even over the people." And yet, with the 21st century well underway, God refuses to die the predicted death. Over the past few years, religion seems to be becoming more--not less--politically relevant. Why has God refused to retreat from the public square, much less die, despite the Enlightenment critique of religion?

 

Thursday, April 20, 4:30-6:00 pm 

"Is present-day America friendly to religious belief and practice?"
  • A Conversation Between Patrick Deneen (University of Notre Dame) and Meir Soloveichik (Yeshiva University)
  • Moderator: Jonathan Silver (Mosaic Magazine)

 

Panels  - Friday, April 21

I. 9:30-10:50 AM 

How did the founders of Enlightenment liberalism attempt to contain or kill off (politicized) religion? Or, in other words, how did they attempt to separate religion and politics?

  • Panelists: Devin Stauffer (University of Texas at Austin), Phillip Munoz (University of Notre Dame)
  • Moderator: Raul Rodriguez (MSU)


II. 11:10 AM-12:20 PM 

How--or, to what extent--did Counter-Enlightenment thinkers resist the attempt to contain or kill off (politicized) religion? Or, in other words, how--or to what extent--did they question the attempt to separate religion and politics?

  • Panelists: Benjamin Storey (AEI), Michael Grenke (St. John's College)
  • Moderator: Lauren Sebell (AEI)


III. 1:30-2:40 PM 

How did premodern traditions of reflection--against which the Enlightenment rose in the first place--understand the place of religion in public life? Or, in other words, how did they see religion and politics as inseparable?

  • Panelists: Nathan Pinkoski (University of Florida), Allison Levy (St. John's College), Karen Taliaferro (Arizona State University)
  • Moderator: Zachary Bennett (MSU)

IV. 3:15-4:30 PM 

What legal protections, if any, should be afforded to religion?

  • A Conversation Between Robert P. George (Princeton University) and Andrew Koppelman (Northwestern University)
  • Moderator: Adam White (AEI)