RNA2022: Full Schedule

10:00am EDT

Registration opens & exhibitor setup

Thursday March 24, 2022 10:00am - 5:00pm EDT
2nd floor foyer

12:00pm EDT

Lunch, sponsored by The Global Religion Journalism Initiative (AP, RNS and The Conversation)

Title: Going Global: Covering the world of religion

Religion journalism isn’t just local: It’s global. But broadening your geographic scope can be challenging. Together representatives from the three news organizations that make up the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., will reflect on how they – and other religion journalists – can find new and imaginative ways to go global with their work. Panelists from The Associated Press, The Conversation and Religion News Service also will discuss the practical, including how they have found in-country freelancers, pitched their skeptical editors and more. Come prepared to share your own experiences on navigating the international faith beat -- the panelists will welcome your insights.

Moderators

David Crary

Director, Global Religion Team, Associated Press

Speakers

Deepa Bharath

Reporter, Global Religion Team, Associated Press

Deepa Bharath is a reporter on AP's Global Religion team. Prior to taking on that role in February, Deepa was a staff writer for the Southern California News Group covering religion, race and health for the company's 11 newspapers in the region. She has written on a number of topics... Read More →

Paul O'Donnell

Editor-in-Chief, Religion News Service

Kalpana Jain

Senior Religion and Ethics Editor, The Conversation

Kalpana Jain has worked as an editor, writer and researcher at Harvard University. A 2009 Nieman Fellow at Harvard, she pursued many social justice issues as a journalist at The Times of India. Her case study on modern-day slavery is part of a Harvard course, and her book on the AIDS... Read More →

Thursday March 24, 2022 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
Bethesdan B&C

Sponsored Panel

1:15pm EDT

Finding God in Chocolate City

DC is still a predominantly Black city and religion in Black communities is more than just Protestant Christianity. What are the local groups that make up the religious diversity of the nation's capital? How do they play a role in the shifting make up of the city as gentrification and revitalization continue to change the face of "Chocolate City"? This panel will explore these topics.

Moderators

Adelle Banks

Projects Editor and National Reporter, Religion News Service

Adelle M. Banks, Projects Editor and National Reporter, joined Religion News Service in 1995. An award-winning journalist, she previously was the religion reporter at the Orlando Sentinel and a reporter at The Providence Journal and newspapers in the upstate New York communities of... Read More →

Speakers

Ryane Nickens

President, TraRon Center

Carole Mumin

Member, Masjid Muhammad

Carole Mumin is one of Washington, DC’s admired playwrights, producers, directors, literary artists, educators, and civic leaders. She is a former White House aide, University of the District of Columbia adjunct professor, public and private sector program consultant, and adult... Read More →

Ayesha Ali

Co-founder, Heart Refuge Mindfulness Community

Ayesha Ali is a poet, writer, and teacher whose work focuses on moving past the internal and external barriers that separate Black women and children from their lineage of competence, beauty and power. She is one of the founders of the Heart Refuge Mindfulness Community.

Nii Odoi Glover

Member, Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Washington DC

Nii Odoi Glover currently serves as a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Washington DC. He works as a firefighter with DC Fire & EMS.

Thursday March 24, 2022 1:15pm - 2:15pm EDT
Bethesdan B&C

RNA-sponsored

2:30pm EDT

Religion & Queer Rights

This panel will explore the complicated relationship between the queer rights movement and religion at a time when a growing number of anti-LGBTQ state bills have been proposed across the country. There have also been significant changes in both the doctrines and approaches of diverse religious groups concerning LGBTQ people in the past 15 years. This panel will consider the ways in which religion has lent itself to the queer rights movement, what has caused public opinion among religious Americans to drastically shift, and what trends journalists should be paying attention to in the years ahead.

Moderators

Guthrie Graves-FitzSimmons

Fellow, Center for American Progress

Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons is a fellow with the Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative at American Progress. His work focuses on a wide range of issues related to the role of religion in American public life, including promoting a progressive vision of religious liberty that champions... Read More →

Speakers

Sharon Groves

Vice-President for Partner Engagement, Auburn Seminary

Dr. Sharon Groves is Vice-President for Partner Engagement at Auburn Seminary. In that capacity Sharon engages with movements, leaders, and organizations doing justice work grounded in faith and moral courage. Prior to joining Auburn’s staff, Sharon served as a Senior Fellow for... Read More →

Michael Haycock

Christian Life Coordinator, Georgetown University

Francis DeBernardo

Executive Director, New Ways Ministry in Mount Rainier, Maryland

Francis DeBernardo has ministered at New Ways Ministry since 1992, first as a volunteer, and then as a staff member since 1994. He has served as Executive Director since 1996. He has conducted programs on LGBT issues and Catholicism in parishes, dioceses, retreat houses, colleges... Read More →

Thursday March 24, 2022 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Bethesdan B&C

RNA-sponsored

3:45pm EDT

The New Religious Paradigm: From Judeo-Christian to Interfaith America

In 1927, the National Coalition of Christians and Jews (ACCJ) began using the term Judeo-Christian to expand beyond America as a Protestant nation and intentionally include Catholics and Jews. Nearly a century later, the United States has grown well beyond the confines of Judeo-Christian to become an Interfaith America, inclusive of many different religious traditions, a more ethically diverse Christianity, and those who don’t adhere to any religion. At this panel, Dr. Eboo Patel and Dr. Robby Jones will offer the latest demographic trends and polling to reveal how Americans view our growing religious diversity as well as imagine strategies for how to leverage America’s increasing religious pluralism for the benefit of civic society.

Speakers

Eboo Patel

Founder and President, InterFaith Youth Core

Named “one of America’s best leaders” by US News and World Report, Dr. Eboo Patel is Founder and President of IFYC, the leading interfaith organization in the United States. Under his leadership, IFYC has worked with governments, universities, private companies, and civic organizations... Read More →

Robert P. Jones

CEO and Founder, Public Religion Research Institute

Robert P. Jones is the CEO and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the author of White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity, which won the 2021 American Book Award. He is also the author of The End of White Christian America, which... Read More →

Thursday March 24, 2022 3:45pm - 4:45pm EDT
Bethesdan B&C

Sponsored Panel

4:30pm EDT

RNA Mentor Program Meetup

This is an informal meetup for participants in RNA's mentoring program. Grab a snack and say hello to other participants in the program.

Speakers

Liam Adams

Reporter, The Tennessean

As The Tennessean’s religion reporter, Liam is interested in everything from messy internal denominational politics to religion’s intersection with socioeconomic issues, state politics and education. Before moving to Nashville, Liam lived in Denver, CO and worked full-time as... Read More →

Thursday March 24, 2022 4:30pm - 5:15pm EDT
Rosedale: RNA Members Lounge

Meetup

5:00pm EDT

Don't Call It a Cult: Reporting on Fundamentalism, Orthodoxy, and New Religious Movements

America has a renewed interest in religious groups that exist outside of the mainstream, and dozens of new documentaries, podcasts, and even reality TV shows are devoted to the topic. But what are best practices for reporting thoughtfully, carefully, and sensitively on religious groups that are new, small, or have a vastly different theology than most of your audience? How can you work to make sure your coverage is both investigative and sensitive? This panel will seek to answer these questions, and more.

Moderators

Sarah Ventre

Audio Journalist, Independent

Sarah Ventre is an award-winning audio journalist best known for her work as host of Unfinished: Short Creek, a podcast about a fundamentalist Mormon community on the Utah-Arizona border named one of the best podcasts of 2020 by The New Yorker and The Atlantic. Her reporting in t... Read More →

Speakers

Anuttama Dasa

Global Director of Communications, International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)

Anuttama Dasa is the Global Director of Communications for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a Vaishnava (or monotheistic) Hindu tradition. ISKCON members practice bhakti, the yoga of devotion, based on the Bhagavad-gita and the teachings of Sri Caitanya... Read More →

Melissa Weisz

Creator & Host, The Forbidden Apple podcast

Melissa Weisz grew up in a Hasidic Jewish community in Boro Park, Brooklyn. She is no longer religiously Hasidic, but has a beautiful nuanced relationship with her community, as well as Hasidism. She is an actor, producer, and writer, writing and performing in both English and Yiddish... Read More →

Shirlee Draper

Director of Operations, Cherish Families

Shirlee Draper was born and raised in “Short Creek” (Hildale, Utah/Colorado City, Arizona) within the fundamentalist polygamous sect now known as FLDS. She was “placed” in an arranged marriage and had four children, two of whom have special needs. After the rise of Warren... Read More →

Thursday March 24, 2022 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Bethesdan B&C

RNA-sponsored

6:30pm EDT

Welcome Reception, sponsored by Religion News Association

Join us as we welcome members and friends to our first in-person event since September 2019 and introduce our new Executive Director. RNA Contest chairman Jeff Diamant will also offer a special toast to 2020 and 2021 RNA award winners whose awards were previously recognized in in virtual ceremonies.

Moderators

Jeff Diamant

Senior Editor, Pew Research Center

Jeff Diamant is a senior writer/editor at Pew Research Center, focusing on religion. He has worked on reports about the faith of Black Americans, Muslim Americans and Europeans. He has a doctorate in history from the CUNY Graduate Center, was a fellow in the Scholars-in-Residence program at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and received a bachelor’s degree from Yale University in political science and international studies. Prior to joi... Read More →

Speakers

Betsy Shirley

Managing Editor, President, Sojourners, Religion News Association

Betsy Shirley is managing editor, sojo.net. She rejoined the editorial staff of Sojourners in 2015 after previously serving as an editorial assistant from 2010-2011. She holds an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School and a B.A. in English from Butler University.Betsy’s articles and... Read More →

Christine DiPasquale

Interim Director, Religion News Association

Christine DiPasquale is a longtime RNA member with a two-decade career as a freelance religion reporter and writer. Her award-winning work has appeared in outlets including Sojourners, Christianity Today, Religion News Service, UrbanFaith, HuffPost, and Jersey Shore Patch. She go... Read More →

Thursday March 24, 2022 6:30pm - 7:30pm EDT
Bethesdan A

Reception

7:30pm EDT

Living the Job: How Embedding Changes the Story

Reporting a deep dive story, working in an insular community, or developing trust with skeptical sources takes time. Lots of time. Audio journalist Sarah Ventre embedded in the FLDS community of Short Creek and lived in the former prophet's house as part of her reporting for her documentary podcast series, "Unfinished: Short Creek." Shirlee Draper comes from that community and had many conversations with Sarah about the ways in which journalists typically only get a surface understanding of the community, and the damage that does. Together, we'll discuss the benefits and difficulties of this approach, which allows journalists a look into the parts of our subjects' lives that often remain hidden, yet have immense importance.

Speakers

Shirlee Draper

Director of Operations, Cherish Families

Sarah Ventre

Audio Journalist, Independent

Thursday March 24, 2022 7:30pm - 8:30pm EDT
Rosedale: RNA Members Lounge

RNA-sponsored

8:30am EDT

Breakfast, sponsored by Network Exhibitors

Friday March 25, 2022 8:30am - 9:30am EDT
Bethesdan A&B

Network Exhibitors Hartford Institute for Religion Research, Beautifully Broken Book, InterVarsity Press, Plough Publishing, American Jewish Committee

9:45am EDT

Religion & Law in the Public Square

This Supreme Court term has been described as the most important in decades, and includes several faith-related cases. However, the intersections of law and religion far exceed the dockets of the Court, and abound in our public rhetoric and also, our health and drug policy. What is the potential for religion to serve as a constructive and a destructive force in the Court, in our discourse, and in psychedelic use?

Moderators

Peter Smith

Reporter, Global Religion Team, Associated Press

Speakers

Mason Marks, MD

Senior Fellow and Project Lead, Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics at Harvard Law School

Mason Marks, MD, is Senior Fellow and Project Lead on the Project on Psychedelics Law and Regulation (POPLAR) at the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics at Harvard Law School... Read More →

Cathleen Kaveny, PhD

Darald and Juliet Libby Professor, Boston College

Darald and Juliet Libby Professor at Boston College, a position that includes appointments in both the department of theology and the law school; focuses on the relationship of law, religion, and morality; Prophecy without Contempt: Religious Discourse in the Public Square (2016... Read More →

Asma Uddin

expert advisor on religious liberty, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

Asma Uddin is an expert advisor on religious liberty to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Inclusive America Project Fellow at the Aspen Institute, and senior scholar at the Freedom Forum Institute. She is also a Berkley Center research fellow; The Politics... Read More →

Bruce Ledewitz

Adrian Van Kaam Endowed Chair in Scholarly Excellence and Professor of Law, Duquesne University School of Law

Bruce Ledewitz is Adrian Van Kaam Endowed Chair in Scholarly Excellence and Professor of Law at Duquesne University School of law. He teaches in the areas of state and federal constitutional law and jurisprudence, specializing in law and religion and law and the secular; The Universe Is on Our Side... Read More →

Friday March 25, 2022 9:45am - 10:45am EDT
Bethesdan C&D

RNA-sponsored

11:00am EDT

Reclaiming the Narrative: Faith Perspectives Supporting Abortion Access

Contrary to the prevailing media narrative, the majority of people of faith actually support abortion rights – not in spite of their faith, but because of it. Hear from leading pro-choice faith voices, learn the theology and data behind their beliefs, and understand the importance of amplifying pro-choice faith perspectives for balanced abortion reporting.

Speakers

Jamie L. Manson

President, Catholics for Choice

Jamie L. Manson is president of Catholics for Choice. She was previously a columnist and books editor at the National Catholic Reporter. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School, where she studied social ethics, sexual ethics and spirituality. She is editor... Read More →

Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis

Senior Minister for Public Theology and Transformation, Middle Collegiate Church

The Reverend Dr. Jacqui Lewis is Senior Minister and Minister for Vision, Worship, and the Arts at the Middle Collegiate Church, a 900-member multiracial, multicultural, and inclusive congregation in New York City. She is also the Executive Director and co-founder of The Middle Project... Read More →

Maggie Siddiqi

Senior Director, Religion and Faith, Center for American Progress Faith Initiative

Maggie M. Siddiqi is the senior director of Religion and Faith at American Progress. Her role is focused on advancing a progressive vision of faith and religious liberty and engaging a network of faith leaders.Siddiqi previously served as the director of Communications and Strategic... Read More →

Annie Lewis

Rabbi, Shaare Torah Congregation

Rabbi Annie Lewis is a passionate organizer, story-weaver, compassionate listener, and teacher of Torah of the heart who serves as Associate Rabbi of Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel in Center City Philadelphia. Rabbi Lewis was ordained by The Jewish Theological Seminary in 2012, where... Read More →

Jennifer Villavicencio

OBGYN & Family Planning Specialist, Catholics for Choice

Jen Villavicencio, MD, is Cuban American who grew up in Miami, Florida. She completed her Bachelor’s of Science in Neuroscience at the University of Michigan and went on to receive her medical degree as a member of the charter class at the University of Central Florida College of... Read More →

Sponsors

Catholics for Choice

Catholics for Choice is a thought leader at the intersection of faith and reproductive freedom.

Friday March 25, 2022 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Bethesdan C&D

Sponsored Panel

12:30pm EDT

Lunch: Bridging Divides to Expand Protections, sponsored by 1st Ammendment Partnership

Religious Americans and LGBTQ Americans are often posited as being in opposing camps. But across the country, these groups are coming together to try to pass legislation that protects the LGBTQ community while also respecting religious rights protected under the First Amendment. And these protections are critically needed by millions of Americans: According to a Harvard study, more than half of LGBTQ Americans have experienced some form of harassment or discrimination due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. But there is currently no federal law that provides basic civil rights protections to LGBTQ Americans. Hear from advocates who hope to pass federal nondiscrimination legislation before the 2022 midterm elections.

Friday March 25, 2022 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
Bethesdan A&B

Sponsored Panel

1:45pm EDT

Climate Refugees

This panel will bring together voices from communities, with a particular focus on Native Americans, experiencing the brunt of climate change's drought, flooding, and rising temperatures. A spirituality that is deeply connected to sacred ground is being threatened by the need to relocate to survive. Rather than feature voices of communities providing aid, as we have done in previous years, this panel will focus directly on the voices of environmental migrants, perhaps communities that have already been forced to relocate.

Moderators

Luis Andres Henao

Reporter, global religion team, Associated Press

Luis Andres Henao, faith and youth reporter for the global religion team at The Associated Press. Before joining the AP’s global religion team in 2019, Luis worked as a foreign correspondent in Latin America and the Caribbean for more than a decade for the AP and Reuters. Based... Read More →

Speakers

Theresa Dardar

Spokesperson, Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe

Theresa Dardar is a resident of a small American Indian fishing community of Pointe-aux-Chenes in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, one of the most fragile coastal areas in the world. She is a strong local leader advocating for the restoration and protection of not just the ecosystem... Read More →

Elizabeth Crocker

Program Associate, Center for Public Engagement with Science & Technology, American Association for the Advancement of Science

Liz Crocker is a program associate for the American Association for the Advancement of Science Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology. Liz supports the AAAS IF/THEN Ambassadors project, facilitates Communicating Science workshops and supports other center programs. She has a Ph.D. in anthropology (Boston University) and a MA in anthropology (Louisiana State University). Alongside her doctoral work, she was the research assistant to the director for Boston University’s Emerging Media Studies. She was also the Communications Director for M... Read More →

Rev. Fletcher Harper

Executive Director, GreenFaith

The Rev. Fletcher Harper is an Episcopal priest and the executive director of GreenFaith, a national interfaith environmental coalition headquartered in Highland Park, N.J. During his tenure at GreenFaith, Harper has launched the GreenFaith Fellowship Program, an interfaith environmental... Read More →

Friday March 25, 2022 1:45pm - 2:45pm EDT
Bethesdan C&D

RNA-sponsored

3:00pm EDT

The Data Game

This panel will focus on the basics of data journalism, from defining what it is to having participants explain how they are enriching their stories with these tools. How has making connections across databases and using programming to gather and combine information changed the way they work? I'm hoping that participants will also give us tips on how those of us who aren't fluent in programs like R can start to learn to do it ourselves. I see this as the beginning of a conversation about this fast-evolving field.

Moderators

Natalie Jackson

director of research, Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI)

Natalie Jackson, Ph.D., (she/her) is the Director of Research at PRRI. She has spent the last 15 years developing extensive expertise in the survey research process and quantitative political science.Natalie’s research on how people form opinions, as well as on the election polling... Read More →

Speakers

Julie Zauzmer Wiel

Reporter, Washington Post

Julie Zauzmer Weil covers D.C.'s local government. She has worked at The Post since 2013, including four years covering religion in America.

LaTrina Antoine

Editor-in-Chief, DC Witness

LaTrina Antoine is a multidimensional journalist who has held several roles in the Communications field. For more than a decade, Antoine has produced quality work as a reporter and editor in the metropolitan area. Her experience includes managing daily and weekly business, political... Read More →

Liam Adams

Reporter, The Tennessean

Friday March 25, 2022 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Bethesdan C&D

RNA-sponsored

4:15pm EDT

Data release, sponsored by Institute for Social Policy & Understanding

Who needs quality data on American Muslims? Every journalist. From new members of Congress, to local zoning board approval issues, to stories of bright young sports stars, to tragic incidents of ideologically motivated violence, journalists are constantly being called upon to cover stories related to the American Muslim community. Doing so requires a base level of understanding upon which to make decisions and write effectively. Yet, for some, knowledge of the American Muslim community and the issues that impact it is scarce at best. At worst, knowledge is based on faulty data and logic peddled by some in the Islamophobia industry.

This data presentation by Dalia Mogahed, Director of Research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), will help attendees go beyond the soundbite by providing a dive into insightful research and usable information about American Muslims, as well as best practices for reporting. As the only applied research institute dedicated to sharing and conducting research on issues impacting American Muslims, ISPU is committed to amplifying existing research and expertise to a wider audience of journalists to improve their efforts to accurately report on this often-misunderstood community.

Speakers

Dalia Mogahed

ISPU Director of Research, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding

Dalia Mogahed is the Director of Research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, where she leads the organization’s pioneering research and thought leadership programs on American Muslims. Mogahed is former Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies... Read More →

Friday March 25, 2022 4:15pm - 4:45pm EDT
Bethesdan C&D

Sponsored Panel

6:00pm EDT

Dinner, sponsored by Becket

Friday March 25, 2022 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Bethesdan A&B

Sponsored Panel

8:30am EDT

Breakfast Conversation: Religion, War and Ukraine

The Russian invasion of Ukraine can't be understood apart from the religious history and grievances of the two nations. This panel explores the religious context of Ukraine, a country of diverse faith traditions that was already the epicenter of a worldwide split in Eastern Orthodoxy and where many sought religious as well as political independence from Moscow.

Moderators

Simran Jeet Singh

Executive Director, Religion & Society Program, The Aspen Institute

Simran Jeet Singh, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the Religion & Society Program at the Aspen Institute and author of The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life (Riverhead, Penguin Random House). Simran is a well-known scholar and champion of religious pluralism who is committed to driving civic change through disrupting bias and building empathy. He is an Equality Fellow with the Open Society Foundations, Senior Adviser on Equity and... Read More →

Speakers

Peter Smith

Reporter, Global Religion team, Associated Press

Meagan Clark

Managing Editor, Religion Unplugged

Susan Hayward

Associate Director of the Religious Literacy and the Professions Initiative, Harvard Divinity School

Susan Hayward is the Associate Director for the Religious Literacy and the Professions Initiative (RLPI) which advances an ambitious agenda of curricular and programmatic activity to advance religious literacy across a wide range of professional fields of public engagement. Working... Read More →

Saturday March 26, 2022 8:30am - 9:30am EDT
Bethesdan A&B

RNA-sponsored

9:45am EDT

Solidarity at the Intersection of Race & Faith

This panel will explore the role of faith and faith leaders in building solidarity between communities. It will seek to explore several questions: What are the challenges faith leaders face when it comes to building trust beyond "allyship" and interfaith dialog? What are the types of common issues can communities of color gather around? How does the issue of race complicate these conversations?

Moderators

Deepa Bharath

Reporter, Global Religion Team, Associated Press

Speakers

Hyepin Im

President and Founder, Faith and Community Empowerment (FACE), Los Angeles

Hyepin Im is the President, CEO, and Founder of Faith and Community Empowerment (FACE formerly KCCD) a non-profit organization whose aim is to help churches by connecting them to resources and partners that could help them to create a bigger impact and positive influence in their... Read More →

Mark Whitlock

Senior Pastor, Reid Temple (AME), Maryland

Rev. Mark E. Whitlock, Jr. is committed to serving God, family, the AME Church and the community. He, his wife and his mother, are beyond thrilled to be in Glenn Dale, Maryland serving Reid Temple AME Church (RTAME). Prior to his historic July 2019 appointment at RTAME, Rev. Whitlock... Read More →

Naeem Baig

Vice President for Public Affairs, Islamic Circle of North America

Yolanda Savage-Narva

Director of Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI), Union for Reform Judaism

Yolanda Savage-Narva (she/her) is the director of Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) for the Union for Reform Judaism. For more than 20 years, Yolanda collaborated with Tribal governments to strengthen public health systems, promoted pedestrian safety and advocacy and coining the phrase, “Walking is a civil right,” and advancing health equity in states and territories. Most recently, Yolanda... Read More →

Saturday March 26, 2022 9:45am - 10:45am EDT
Bethesdan C&D

RNA-sponsored

11:00am EDT

Curation Without Representation

In recent years, the District's already-unparalleled cultural institutions have focused increasingly on the intersection of religion and culture. That's happened in a noteworthy way at the Smithsonian, which now has at least three curators dedicated specifically to religion, and with the emergence of Museum of the Bible just off the National Mall; Washington's cultural landscape has a distinctly more pronounced religious flavor. And more looms on the horizon, including a Jewish museum and a museum of American religion. This panel brings reporters up-to-speed on these and other developments and probes what they mean for our nation.

Moderators

Menachem Wecker

Journalist, Freelance

A freelance writer, Wecker is a former education reporter at U.S. News & World Report, and he has covered culture and religion, among other beats, for Washington Post Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Houston Chronicle, Playboy, Atlantic, and others.

Speakers

Jeffrey Kloha

Chief curatorial officer, Museum of the Bible

Jeffrey Kloha, who joined Museum of the Bible in summer 2017, manages the museum's Education, Scholars Initiative, Exhibits, Curatorial, and Collections departments and is responsible for executing those departments’ strategic plans, along with managing other professionals.He previously... Read More →

Colleen Prior

Board member, National Museum of American Religion

Colleen Prior is a board member at the National Museum of American Religion.

Teddy Reeves

Curator of religion, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Teddy Reeves is curator of religion at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. He holds a Ph.D. from Fordham University and holds an M.Div. (Princeton Seminary) and a college degree from Hampton University.In 2018, he created a web based talk-show... Read More →

Rebekah Sobel

Director of Interpretation, Capital Jewish Museum

Rebekah Sobel is director of interpretation at the Capital Jewish Museum, which she joined in fall 2018 after a decade at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. A California native, she holds a Ph.D. in anthropology and visual communication from Temple University and brings 20 years... Read More →

Saturday March 26, 2022 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Bethesdan C&D

RNA-sponsored

12:30pm EDT

Boxed Lunch Pickup

Saturday March 26, 2022 12:30pm - 1:00pm EDT
Break Station

1:30pm EDT

Washington National Cathedral Tour & Talk

Like many churches, the COVID-19 pandemic forced Washington National Cathedral to pivot toward a digital-first approach, and in the past two years, the Cathedral has reached more than 3.8 million people through online programs and webcast worship. In the process, the storied Gothic cathedral has reinvented itself from the place that holds state funerals to an online destination for 5,000 people every Sunday. The Cathedral welcomes you for a brief tour and to meet Dean Randy Hollerith to hear about the digital transformation of one of America’s largest churches.

Cost: $25 on site; $20 early bird (expires 3/19/22)
Register now for the early bird rate!

Saturday March 26, 2022 1:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
National Cathedral

Field Trip

5:30pm EDT

RNA Members Meeting

RNA members only meeting.

Saturday March 26, 2022 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
Rosedale: RNA Members Lounge

RNA MEMBERS ONLY MEETING

7:30pm EDT

Closing Celebration, sponsored by Religion News Foundation

Saturday March 26, 2022 7:30pm - 9:30pm EDT
Bethesday A-D

RNF Sponsored