The Ethics Center at California State University, Fresno presents an academic conference, “Religion, and Civil Discourse,” Oct. 13-15 as part of its Leon S. Peters Ethics Lecture Series with 25 prominent scholars from across the U.S. sharing their research on civility and the humanities in diverse American cities.

The free, public event begins at 3 p.m. Thursday with a student panel focusing on the Obama Interfaith Service Challenge. It will be at the University Business Center located in the Peters Business Building (5245 N. Backer St). The Thursday night session will be at Arte Americas in downtown Fresno.

Funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the purpose of the conference is to understand and promote civil discourse about increased religious diversity in California’s Central Valley.

It is supported by the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno, Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning, the Interfaith Alliance of Central California and Arte Americas.

Conferees from across the United States will present original research related to civil discourse about religion, educating citizens about religion in the public schools, and other issues of concern in a world of religious diversity.

There will be four panel discussion and five featured speakers:

Oct. 13 (7-8 p.m.)  — ­ Jedd Medefind is president of the Christian Alliance for Orphans. He is an author of Four Souls (Thomas Nelson, 2001), and he served in the White House as director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for President George W. Bush.

Oct. 14 (9-10 am)  — Amir Hussain teaches theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He is the author of “Oil & Water” (CopperHouse, 2006) and is the first Muslim editor of one of the most prestigious religious studies journals in the U.S., the Journal of the American Academy of Religion.

Oct. 14 (1:30-2:30 p.m.) — Diane Moore is the author of “Overcoming Religious Illiteracy” (Palgrave, 2007). She directs the Religious Literacy Project for Teachers at Harvard University.

Oct. 14 (2:30-4:30 p.m.) — Bill Nericcio panelist and host of the cultural evening at Arte Americas) is a graphic designer and artist.  He is the author of “Tex{t}-Mex” (University of Texas, 2007) and is the first Chicano chair of the English Department at San Diego State University.

(Oct. 14, 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Arte Americas) — Rubén Martínez is an Emmy award-winning writer and performer. He is the author of “The New Americans” (New Press, 2004), and he hosted “When Worlds Collide” for PBS.

SCHEDULE

Thursday, Oct. 13, 3-4:30PM

  • Pre-Conference Student Panel: “Interfaith Dialogue and Community Service (the Obama Interfaith Service Challenge)”

Thursday, Oct. 13, 7-8 PM

  • Featured Speaker: Jedd Medefind, Christian Alliance for Orphans; “Tolerance is No Longer Enough: Why only a commitment to a robust pluralism can rescue America’s civic life”

Friday, Oct. 14: 9-10:00AM

  • Featured Speaker: Amir Hussain, Loyola Marymount University, “Religious Diversity and Public Education: The Example of American Muslims”

Friday, Oct. 14, 10:15AM-12:15PM

  • Concurrent Panel Discussions

Friday, Oct. 14, 1:30-2:30 PM

  • Featured Speaker: Diane Moore, Harvard University, director of the Religious Literacy Project, “High Stakes Ignorance: Religion, Education, and the Erosion of Democracy”

Friday, Oct. 14, 2:30- 4:30PM

  • Concurrent Panel Discussions

Friday, Oct. 14: Evening Lecture and Reception at Arte Americas

  • 6:30-7:30PM: Reception and entertainment by Cerro Negro
  • 7:30-8:30PM: Featured speaker: Ruben Martinez, Loyola Marymount University, “DESERT AMERICA: The Question of the Neighbor in the Borderlands”
  • 8:30-9:30PM: Reception and Entertainment by Cerro Negro

Saturday, Oct. 15, 9:00-11:00AM

  • Concurrent Panel Discussions

For more information, contact Dr. Andrew Fiala  at 559-278-2352 or  afiala@csufresno.edu.

RELATED LINKS

Ethics Center