Name: Plenary Address (Open to Public) | "Why Religious Freedom Matters: Human Rights and Human Flourishing"
Start: 2026-06-12T11:00:00-0400
End: 2026-06-12T12:15:00-0400

Welcome, Democracy Scholars! We are delighted to invite you to American Independence and Identity at 250: Examining Democracy in the United States and Globally. This conference will be hosted at Gordon College on Thursday, June 11-Saturday, June 13, with events in Ken Olsen Science Center, Chase Hall, and Lane Student Center. Join for an optional tour of revolutionary sites in Boston, MA on Sunday, June 14.

Check out the schedule below and get excited for a phenomenal lineup of panel discussions, keynote addresses, and more!

Plenary Address (Open to Public) | "Why Religious Freedom Matters: Human Rights and Human Flourishing"

Friday June 12, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Chairs' Room (Ken Olsen Science Center)

Allen Hertzke (University of Oklahoma)
“Why Religious Freedom Matters: Human Rights and Human Flourishing”

New global research powerfully links religious freedom to democracy, human rights, economic flourishing, empowerment of women, uplift for the poor, and peace. A key finding of this research suggests that these healthy outcomes are undermined when religion is privileged by state power, not just when it is repressed. This “curse of privilege” offers cautionary lessons for Christians participating in American democracy in the 21st Century, with profound implications for the fate of global democracy.

Respondent: Judd Birdsall (Georgetown University)

Speakers

Allen Hertzke

Professor emeritus, Political Science, University of Oklahoma

Author, Why Religious Freedom Matters: Human Rights and Human Flourishing, Freeing God’s Children, and The Future of Religious Freedom; and ten-year member, Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at the Vatican.

Judd Birdsall

Asst Professor of the Practice, Dept of Theology and Religious Studies, Georgetown University

Asst Professor of the Practice, Dept of Theology and Religious Studies, Georgetown University. Senior Fellow, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. Senior Editor, RFIA. Formerly at US State Dept and U.S. Institute of Peace.

Friday June 12, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
Chairs' Room (Ken Olsen Science Center)

Plenary Events

Democracy Conference Schedule

Allen Hertzke

Judd Birdsall

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Democracy Conference Schedule

Allen Hertzke

Judd Birdsall

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