Politics and the Common Life: A Conversation about Faithful Political Engagement

On Oct. 7, we partnered with other Study Centers and the AEI Initiative on Faith and Public Life to ask, "Is it possible to love one’s neighbors through political action and advocacy? Can we cultivate a common life across lines of partisan affiliation?"

In the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, we’re seeking to cultivate a fruitful dialogue about the nature and possibility of Christian faithfulness in public life and politics. A conversation like that begins with a basic understanding that people of faith need not — and, indeed should not — strive to separate Christian life from political engagement. But how we engage matters. Christians are called to love neighbors and enemies in all spheres of life. During this event, we explored a realistic but hopeful vision of Christian discipleship and witness in the midst of our fragmented and polarized political culture.

This event was sponsored by: Anselm House, AEI Initiative on Faith and Public Life, The Center for Christian Study at UVA, Upper House, and the North Carolina Study Center.

National Book Launch for 'Reading While Black' by New Testament Scholar Dr. Esau McCaulley

During this live webcast on Wednesday, Sept. 23, New Testament scholar Dr. Esau McCaulley shared about the inspiration for his newly released book Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope, the timeliness of its release, and his hopes for its impact on readers. In the book, Dr. McCaulley expresses that reading Scripture from the perspective of Black church tradition can help us connect with a rich faith history and address the urgent issues of our times. Demonstrating an ongoing conversation between the collective Black experience and the Bible, Dr. McCaulley shares a personal and scholarly testament to the power and hope of Black biblical interpretation.

Purchase a copy of Dr. McCaulley's book: www.ivpress.com/reading-while-black

Learn more about this event: www.ncstudycenter.org/rwblaunch

Robert P. George and Cornel West in Conversation

On Sept. 10, in partnership with the UNC Program for Public Discourse, we hosted a discussion between Drs. George and West on fostering dialogue and friendships across the political aisle. The event was moderated by Thomas Chatterton Williams, with an introduction from Dr. Terry Rhodes, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and we’re thrilled to be able to share the recording now here!

Dr. George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. He is also frequently a Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School.

Dr. West is Professor of the Practice of Public Philosophy at Harvard University and holds the title of Professor Emeritus at Princeton University. He has also taught at Union Theological Seminary, Yale, Harvard, and the University of Paris. Thomas Chatterton Williams is the author of ‘Self-Portrait in Black and White: Unlearning Race and Losing My Cool’ and a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, the London Review of Books, and many other places. He is a 2019 New America Fellow and the recipient of a Berlin Prize.