Democracy Conference Schedule

Miriam Belli (Gordon College)
"Childlike Faith? The Past, Present, and Future of Youth Religious and Partisan Identity in America"

Americans today are demonstrating increased affinity to a political party but decreased religious alignment, with their partisan identities often trumping any religious beliefs or practices. At the same time, recent decades have shown a blurring of the lines between religious and political authority, causing many to reject religious groups because of their party associations, or vice versa. Generation Z, with its unique experience and identity as the most socially diverse generation in American history, has the power to change this trajectory. With their surprisingly growing interest in religion and spirituality, specifically the Christian faith, members of Gen Z may alter the course of religious and partisan identity in the United States. Christians and the Church should be both encouraged and mobilized by this shift, and actively and intentionally respond.
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Ella Forest (Gordon College)
"Justice for the Poor: A Reformed Critique of Liberation Theology"

While Liberation Theology rightly identifies systemic oppression as an urgent moral concern, the developed argument is insufficient theologically and reduces justice to institutional reform. In contrast, the deeper theological reflections of sin, sovereignty, and salvation are more adequately developed in the Reformed Tradition. The Reformed Tradition’s emphasis on the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of institutions and human beings fills this gap with theological sufficiency. In turn, a true sense of justice for the poor demands not simply institutional change, but a holistic response rooted in proper theological principles, institutional responsibility, and the God-ordained responsibility of the state.
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Isaac Picariello (Gordon College)
"What has Vegas to do with Washington? How the gambling industry has crept further into American democracy."

Currently, prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket are making headlines as forums for (in addition to sports betting) election gambling and political forecasting. These markets are coasting off of a complex but fascinating history. This paper unpacks what these companies are, unpacks the history of American political prediction markets, introduces the relevant arguments for and against the practice of political wagering, and highlights key things to watch for as the story of these markets continues.
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DISCUSSANTS:
Steve Alter (Gordon College, History)
Jennifer Hevelone-Harper (Gordon College, History)