Initiatives
Consultation on Religious Freedom
Initially begun in 2019 in response to the Marrakesh and Washington Declarations by the then Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies (now the Abu Dhabi Peace Forum) and the United Arab Emirates and at their invitation, to engage over the commensurability and difference between Evangelical and Muslim understanding of the concept of religious freedom. Ongoing.
Religion in the Public Square at Yale
TBA
Public Theology Initiative
To develop a Theology of Public Engagement grounded in the Scriptures and the Evangelical Tradition which seeks the welfare of the state and the common good. TBD
Public Square Initiative
Launched earlier this year (2024), gathering Christian leaders in conversation on the role of faith in the Public Square. First event will be panel on Conflicting Views of Religious Freedom in the United States.
RFPFP Network
The Religious Freedom in Public & Foreign Policy Network [RFPFP] is in its initial stage of development. Designed to provide a forum for Christian scholars and policy analysts to connect and advance the understanding of religious freedom in public and foreign policy. In the future we hope to connect students with scholars working at the intersection of Christian faith and policy in such fields as political science, international relations, political philosophy, and public theology.
associations
Shortly after the inception of the CFPSQ, our steering committee at CFPSQ has informally partnered with other groups including the academic session consultation of Islam & Evangelical Christianity at the Evangelical Theological Society through its steering committee which overlaps with all three of our constituents. During the three years of COVID this proved particularly helpful as we were able to augment dialogue and scholarship along our mission. Some of these sessions at the annual meeting included the following Panel Discussions: “Islam & Evangelical Christianity – Is a Productive Dialogue Possible?”; “Tension of Engaging Islam as a Christian and as a Citizen: Competing Responsibilities”; “Understanding Our Neighbor: Muslims and Evangelicals in Conversation”; “Evangelical Understanding of the Political Construct of Religious Freedom”; “Understanding the Role of Evangelicals on Religious Freedom in US Public and Foreign Policy”; “Review of the Consultation on Religious Freedom at Yale.”
“Understanding Our Neighbor: Muslims and Evangelicals in Conversation” took place at the annual meeting of ETS during COVID in 2020 and had to be held on Zoom. The panel consisted of Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Mohamed Magid, Asthma Uddin, along with Darrell Bock, John Hartley, and Don Smedley. This was the second time Muslims had presented at ETS. The first was in 2009, when a panel was convened as a referendum, Evangelicals and A Common Word. Panelists included Joseph Lumbard, Caner Dagli, R. Albert Mohler, John Piper, Joseph Cumming, Don Smedley, J.P. Moreland was moderator.