Understanding Race, Religion, and Identity for Diverse Democracy 

This session will explore some of the primary questions raised in Simran’s recent book, The Light We Give. What is the complex, often overlapping relationship between race and religion in the United States? How does private spiritual practice relate to public religious institutions and identity? What does it look like to honor our differences and cultivate robust religious pluralism while also boldly confronting injustice and fighting oppressive societal structures? What is the balance between seeking inner wholeness and healing, and serving others in public vocations out of an inner commitment to sacrificial love? In difficult times in American life, as we face conflict abroad and challenges to democracy at home, how can we maintain hope and resilience in fighting for a more just, more equal world-and what role does faith play, in cultivating that?