Announcing The Faith and Democracy Tour
Plus, a conversation with Jim Wallis about "A Test of Faith"
Dear #WhiteTooLong Readers,
I’m excited to share with you a recent conversation Jim Wallis hosted with me and my colleagues from
substack and podcast (left to right: Diana Butler Bass, Jemar Tisby, Jim Wallis, Kristin Du Mez, and yours truly). Click below to watch the conversation, which was recorded when we all came together recently for a “Test of Faith: A Summit to Defend Democracy” at Georgetown University.That conversation centered around a newly-released important statement on Christian faith and democracy. Here’s an excerpt:
The United States confronts a crisis of democracy, and the American church confronts a test of faith…. We are American Christians who deeply love our country. We affirm the right of Christians to bring our faith to bear on the public square for the common good and the flourishing of all humanity. We also welcome and affirm the rights of people of all faiths and of no religious faith to speak to this crisis; this document offers a distinctly Christian perspective, but the principles affirmed here are shared broadly across many religious and ethical traditions and by people of good will….
We write in a moment of fierce urgency, as the people of God animated by faith, hope, and love. It is in this spirit that we reaffirm Christian support for democracy and invite all Christians and people of moral conscience to do the same. In the face of these challenges, we ask our fellow Christians to join us in affirming and defending these truths.
To read the entire statement and to consider adding your support for the statement, click here.
Announcing Our Faith and Democracy Tour
After months of planning, we are excited to finally announce that we’re taking
team on the road!Want to experience a celebration of an authentic Christian faith that supports a vision of a pluralistic democracy? Join us for the Faith and Democracy Tour, featuring the co-hosts of The Convocation Unscripted: Diana Butler Bass, Kristin Du Mez, Robert P. Jones, and Jemar Tisby, PhD.
We’ll have great music from award-winning artists, inspiring conversations, and opportunities for meeting like-minded people who are connecting their faith to the work of strengthening democracy.
If you’re in the Greensboro, NC, or Tempe, AZ, area, we hope you’ll come join us. And please help us spread the word in your networks.
See below for the confirmed stops on the tour, and bookmark our Faith & Democracy Tour home page — we hope to be adding more tour stops soon!
We hope to see you on the road!
Robby, Diana, Kristin, and Jemar
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October 13: Faith and Democracy Tour - First Baptist Church (Greensboro, NC)
Co-hosts of The Convocation Unscripted: Diana Butler Bass, Kristin Du Mez, Robert P. Jones, and Jemar Tisby, PhD, will be joined by an amazing group of musical artists:
Sam Ashworth, Grammy & Oscar-nominated singer-songwriter (H.E.R., Leslie Odom Jr.);
Taylor Leonhardt, Solo recording artist, member of Paper Horses;
Rissi Palmer, Solo recording artist, host of the Apple Music podcast Color Me Country with Rissi Palmer; and
Tommy Sims, Grammy Award-winning producer & singer-songwriter (Eric Clapton — “Change the World”).
The event is FREE (and the first 160 people in the door get a free book), but registration is required to ensure a seat. Click the button below to register.
October 20: Faith and Democracy Tour - Dayspring United Methodist Church (Tempe, AZ)
Co-hosts of The Convocation Unscripted: Diana Butler Bass, Kristin Du Mez, Robert P. Jones, and Jemar Tisby, PhD, will be joined by an amazing group of musical artists:
Taylor Leonhardt, Solo recording artst, member of Paper Horses;
Fernando Ortega, Dove Award-winning singer-songwriter (“Give Me Jesus”); and
Tommy Sims, Grammy Award-winning producer & singer-songwriter (Eric Clapton — “Change the World”).
The event is FREE (and the first 160 people in the door get a free book), but registration is required to ensure a seat. Click the button below to register.
More About The Convocation
If you haven’t check our our new project, The Convocation Unscripted, here’s what we’re up to. The Convocation's newsletter, podcast, and YouTube channel bring together four scholars (three historians and one sociologist) who write and think deeply about religion and its intersection with culture, history, and politics in America. We also each take our own Christian faith seriously and are deeply concerned about the future of both democracy and Christianity in the U.S. Most importantly, over the years, we’ve found ourselves to be not just fellow travelers but friends. And this year, in response to the unprecedented threats to democracy we are facing, we’re taking the show on the road. We hope you’ll join us if we’re stopping in a city near you.
The Faith and Democracy Tour is brought to you by PRRI.