The Impact of Fear on American Public Life

Fear of change and anxieties about economic and cultural disruption in America are contributing to gridlock and polarization in our public life at a time when civil discourse, creative solutions, and bipartisan action are needed to address national problems.

The media feed our anxieties and some have decided it is in their interests to fan public fears. Is there a role for religion and interfaith dialogue in countering the negative effects of fear in the public square? Americans are also fearful about the possibility of a terrorist attack – and here, too, fear is having a negative impact on the quality of public debate and problem solving. If there is another terrorist attack for which religious justification is claimed, what would be the social and policy consequences for our nation? As we confront our terrorism-related fears, how can Americans, particularly people of faith, work together to strengthen America’s resilience and encourage constructive responses to future national crises?

Join us for a provocative half-day interfaith conference, Managing Fear Through Faith, that takes on hard questions about fear and faith, and be part of the visioning process for a new kind of community response to fear.

Participants