The fifth Religious Freedom Annual Review of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies was held June 20-21, 2018 on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Some 500 participants in the event heard US media, legal, and religious leaders speak on topics such as why religious freedom matters, how to find common ground with LGBTQ rights, religious freedom in the media, and how to promote religious freedom in their communities.
Press Coverage of the Event
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
- Elder L. Whitney Clayton – “In the Marrow of Their Bones”: The Latter-day Saint Experience of Religion as Identity General Authority Seventy and Senior President, Quorums of the Seventy, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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- Teryl Givens, Jabez A. Bostwick Chair of English; Professor of literature and Religion, University of Richmond
- Fiona Givens, Author
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- Moderator: Michael D. Frandsen, Director, Public Affairs, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Angela Carmella, Professor of Law, Seton Hall University School of Law
- Holly Hollman, General Counsel and Associate Executive Director, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
- Erik Owens, Director of the International Studies Program; Associate Professor in Theology and International Studies, Boston College
- Michael Wear, Founder, Public Square Strategies LLC
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- Moderator: Brett G. Scharffs, Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, and Rex E. Lee Chair and Professor of Law, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University
- Shapri LoMaglio, Vice President for Government Relations and Executive Programs, Council for Christian Colleges & Universities
- Tyler Deaton, President, Allegiance Strategies
- William Eskridge, John A. Garver Professor of Jurisprudence, Yale Law School
- Thomas C. Berg, James L. Oberstar Professor of Law and Public Policy, University of St. Thomas School of Law
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- Moderator: Jane Wise, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University
- Thomas C. Berg, James L. Oberstar Professor of Law and Public Policy, University of St. Thomas School of Law
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- Moderator: Daniel Peterson, Professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic, Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages, Brigham Young University
- Haroon Azar, Senior Fellow, Burkle Center for International Relations; Program Director, Initiative on Security and Religious Freedom, UCLA
- Sahar F. Aziz, Professor of Law and Chancellor’s Social Justice Scholar, Center for Security, Race & Rights, Rutgers University Law School
- Ossama Bahloul, Resident Scholar, Islamic Center of Nashville; Founder, www.Islamin500.org
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- Moderator: Hannah Clayson Smith, Senior Fellow, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, Brigham Young University
- Nathan Lewin, Attorney, Lewin & Lewin, LLP
- Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO, First Liberty Institute
- Walter Weber, Senior Counsel, American Center for Law and Justice
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- Moderator: Carrie Moore, Adjunct Faculty, School of Communications, Brigham Young University; Founder, The Bradley Center for Grieving Children and Families
- Kelsey Dallas, Religion Reporter, Deseret News
- Bobby Ross Jr., Chief Correspondent and former Managing Editor, The Christian Chronicle
- Gene Schaerr, Partner, Schaerr Duncan
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Workshop: Communicating about Religious Freedom with Millennials
- Moderator: Blythe Shupe, Communications Specialist, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, Brigham Young University
- Chelsea Langston Bombino, Director of Strategic Engagement for the Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance
- Emily Hardman, President, Amicus Communications
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Thursday, June 21, 2018
- Emma Green, Staff Writer, The Atlantic
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- Jacqueline C. Rivers, Executive Director and Senior Fellow for Social Science and Policy of the Seymour Institute for Black Church and Policy Studies; Lecturer, Harvard University
- Eugene F. Rivers, III, Reverend, Activist, and Political Analyst; Co-founder, The Boston TenPoint Coalition
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- Moderator: Hannah Clayson Smith, Senior Fellow, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, Brigham Young University
- Sahar F. Aziz, Professor of Law and Chancellor’s Social Justice Scholar, Center for Security, Race & Rights, Rutgers University Law School
- Emma Green, Staff Writer, The Atlantic
- Holly Hollman, General Counsel and Associate Executive Director, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
- Terry Mattingly, Syndicated Columnist; Senior Fellow in Media and Religion, The King’s College, New York City
- Bobby Ross Jr., Chief Correspondent and former Managing Editor, The Christian Chronicle
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- Neill F. Marriott, Former Second Counselor, Young Women General Presidency, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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- Brett G. Scharffs, Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, and Rex E. Lee Chair and Professor of Law, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University
- Tom Christofferson, Author
- Kristen Looney, Director, Religious Freedom Center, Freedom Forum Institute
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- Moderator: Donlu Thayer, Publications Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University; Associate Editor, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion
- Terry Mattingly, Syndicated Columnist; Senior Fellow in Media and Religion, The King’s College, New York City
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- Moderator: Joel Campbell, Associate Professor, Journalism, Brigham Young University
- Kristi S. Hamrick, President, KSH Media, Inc.
- Molly Redden, Senior Politics Reporter, Huffington Post
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- Moderator: Paul Edward, Deputy Chief of Staff, Communications and Policy, Utah State Governor’s Office
- J. Stuart Adams, District 22 Senator and Majority Whip, Utah State Legislature
- Pamela J. Atkinson, Advocate; Philanthropist; Advisor to Utah State Governor on Policy, Planning, and Strategy
- Tim Brown, Mayor, San Clemente, California
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- Moderator: Clark Gilbert, President, BYU-Pathway Worldwide
- Scott Jaschik, Editor and Co-founder, Inside Higher Ed
- Katherine Mangan, Senior Writer, The Chronicle of Higher Education
- Beck A. Taylor, President, Whitworth University
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- Moderator: Steven M. Sandberg, Deputy General Counsel, Brigham Young University
- Julie L. Franklin, Director of Residence Life, Brigham Young University
- Ben Schilaty, Adjunct Faculty, Spanish and Portuguese, Brigham Young University
- Jordon Sgro, Chief Program Officer, Encircle: an LGBTQ+ Family & Youth Resource Center
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- Moderator: Robert Snyder, Administrator, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Linda K. Wertheimer, Author and Journalist
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