How did we get here and where are we going: a US religious and political history lesson

Brian McLaren

Board Vice-Chair
Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. Notable among the many books he has authored are: “A New Kind of Christian”, which won Christianity Today’s “Award of Merit” in 2002; “Everything Must Change” tracing critical ways in which Jesus’ message confronts contemporary global crises; and We Make the Road by Walking, marking a turn toward constructive and practical theology. His 2016 release, The Great Spiritual Migration, has been hailed as his most important work to date. Brian is married to Grace, and they have four adult children and five grandchildren. His personal interests include wildlife and ecology, fly fishing and kayaking, music and songwriting, art, history, and literature. www.brianmclaren.net

Sessions:
209 How did we get here and where are we going
226 Brian McLaren, Topic TBD
278 Gathering The Goose
128 Taking to the Social Streets
87 A Dialogue With Brian McLaren and Reverend Trier
335 Creating Congregational Change

Diana Butler Bass

Diana is an author, speaker, and independent scholar specializing in American religion and culture. She holds a Ph.D. in religious studies from Duke University and is the author of nine books, including Grounded: Finding God in the World—A Spiritual Revolution (HarperOne, 2015) and the widely influential Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening (HarperOne, 2012). Her other books include A People’s History of Christianity: The Other Side of the Story (HarperOne, 2009), and the best-selling Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith (2006) which was named as one of the best religion books of the year by Publishers Weekly and was featured in a cover story in USA TODAY. Diana regularly writes at The Huffington Post and The Washington Post and comments on religion, politics, and culture in the media including USA TODAY, Time, Newsweek, CBS, CNN, FOX, PBS, and NPR.

dianabutlerbass.com

Sessions:
4 Diana Butler Bass, Topic TBD
209 How did we get here and where are we going

Randall Balmer

Randall Balmer, who holds the Ph.D. from Princeton University, is the John Phillips Professor in Religion at Dartmouth College, where he is also Director of the Society of Fellows and Chair of the Religion Department. Prior to coming to Dartmouth in 2012, he was Professor of American Religious History at Columbia University for twenty-seven years and an Adjunct Professor of Church History at Union Theological Seminary, where he earned the Master of Divinity in 2001. Ordained an Episcopal priest in 2006, he has served as rector in two parishes in Connecticut. He was Visiting Professor at Yale Divinity School from 2004 to 2008, and he has been a Visiting Professor at Princeton, Yale, Northwestern and Emory universities. Dr. Balmer is the author of fourteen books, including Evangelicalism in America and Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter. His second book, Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America, now in its fifth edition, was made into a three-part documentary for PBS. Dr. Balmer was nominated for an Emmy for writing and hosting that series. He is a contributor for CNN, and his commentaries have appeared in newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Des Moines Register and the New York Times.
https://www.randallbalmer.com/

Sessions:
10 Randall Balmer, Topic TBD
209 How did we get here and where are we going

Frank Schaeffer

Frank Schaeffer is an artist and a New York Times bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction. Frank is a much sought-after speaker and has lectured at a wide range of venues from Harvard’s Kennedy School to the Hammer Museum/UCLA, Princeton University, Riverside Church Cathedral, DePaul University, and the Kansas City Public Library. Frank has been a frequent guest on the Rachel Maddow Show on NBC, has appeared on Oprah, been interviewed by Terri Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air and appeared on the Today Show, BBC News and many other media outlets. Frank is also a blogger on Huffington Post, Alternet, and Patheos. http://www.frankschaeffer.com/index.html
www.frankschaeffer.com

Sessions:
212 Frank Schaeffer, Topic TBD
209 How did we get here and where are we going
385 A Conversation with Frank Schaeffer