As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, polarization and the prevalence of “us-versus-them" narratives, both within and between identity communities, create a feeling of threat that leads many to build walls rather than bridges. In this fireside conversation, panelists will discuss the Catholic Church's experience internally with diverse views, the Church's relationship with others, and broader questions about how the Church's own experiences can be a model of deliberation and discourse for building pluralism and strengthening democracy in the US during its 250th celebrations.
This event is hosted in partnership with Interfaith America and the following entities at Notre Dame: Global Catholic Research Initiative; Lindsay and Matt Moroun Religious Liberty Clinic; Mission Engagement and Church Affairs; Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion; Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism; Program on Church, State & Society; and the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights.
Moderator
Kathleen Sprows Cummings is the John A. O’Brien Collegiate Professor of American Studies and History at the University of Notre Dame. She is a fellow of the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies and the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion and serves as the director of the University-wide Global Catholic Research Initiative.
Panelists
G. Marcus Cole is the Joseph A. Matson Dean and Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School. Dean Cole is a leading scholar of the empirical law and economics of commerce and a leading University voice on religious freedom. He was a faculty member at Stanford Law School from 1997 until he came to Notre Dame. At Stanford, he held two endowed chairs and taught courses in the areas of bankruptcy, banking, contracts, and venture capital.
Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre is the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Louisville. He currently serves as chairman of the USCCB Committee of Domestic Justice and Human Development. He led the writing of the U.S. Bishops’ most recent pastoral letter on racism, "Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love," which was approved and published in 2018.
Donna Carroll became president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) on July 1, 2024, having served as the association’s executive director since September 2023. In 2022, ACCU honored her with the Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C. Award, for her significant services and contributions to Catholic higher education.
Originally published at strategicframework.nd.edu.