Our events bring thought-provoking conversations about democracy to the Penn State community and beyond. We also partner with organizations across Penn State and throughout the State College community to co-sponsor programming. All events are free and open to anyone.
Can Christianity Save Democracy?
Jonathan Rauch
Wednesday, May 27, 6:00 p.m.
University Baptist & Brethren Church, 411 S. Burrowes St., State College
Or Via Zoom: https://psu.zoom.us/j/98877658888
Loneliness and isolation are up; church attendance is down. America is becoming a post-Christian nation, while politics becomes ever more divided and vitriolic. What if these trends are related—and what do they portend? In this groundbreaking, richly illustrated lecture, journalist, author, and lifelong atheist Jonathan Rauch explains why Christianity’s contemporary crisis is making America ungovernable. His inspirational talk reveals what Jesus and James Madison have in common and how, together, their teachings can help to heal our politics—and maybe Christianity, too.
Rauch is one of the country’s most versatile and original writers on government, public policy, and gay marriage, among other subjects. A senior fellow of the Brookings Institution in Washington and contributing writer of The Atlantic, he is the author of eight books and many articles and has received the magazine industry’s two leading prizes — the National Magazine Award (the industry’s equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize) and the National Headliner Award.
This event is sponsored by the Central PA chapter of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, the McCourtney Institute for Democracy, and the University Baptist & Brethren Church.
9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero
Documentary Screening and Discussion
Thursday, September 10, 7:00 p.m.
Carnegie Cinema, 113 Carnegie Building.
What happens when thousands of ordinary citizens are invited to shape a major public decision?
The documentary 9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero tells the remarkable story of how Americans came together after the tragedy of September 11 to help determine the future of the World Trade Center site through one of the largest public deliberation processes ever held in the United States. Thousands of citizens from across the region gathered to discuss competing proposals, weigh trade-offs, and collectively shape what would ultimately be built at Ground Zero. The film offers a rare look at democracy in action, illustrating how structured dialogue and public participation can help communities navigate complex decisions and moments of national significance.
Penn State professors John Gastil and Brad Vivian, experts in deliberative democracy and public memory, will lead a discussion following the screening.