"The Evangelical Upsurge and its Political Implications" lecture at JHU SAIS

Professor David Martin of the London School of Economics will discuss "The Evangelical Upsurge and its Political Implications" at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. 03/10 in the Paul H. Nitze School of International Studies (SAIS) Kenney Auditorium, 1740 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. The commentator for the event will be Mark Falcoff, a Latin America specialist with the American Enterprise Institute. Professor Peter Berger of Boston University will serve as the moderator.

Professor Martin is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics. He is an Honorary Professor at Lancaster University and an International Associate of the Institute for the Study of Economic Culture at Boston University.

This lecture is the fourth in a new SAIS lecture series that will examine "The Impact of Religious Conviction on the Politics of the 21st Century." Sponsoring the series are the Foreign Policy Institute of SAIS and the Ethics and Public Policy Center. The project, consisting of ten lectures in all, is funded by the William and Mary Greve Foundation. All lectures are open to the public. A reception will follow the lecture.

The purpose of the "Religious Conviction Project" is to assess evidence of a worldwide resurgence in religious belief and to reflect on the implications of such a development at the end of the current millennium. Although religious fervor in the United States has provoked sharply partisan debate, the global revival of religious conviction has not received systematic attention.

Specifically, the project will address the following questions:

What are the origins of the revival of religious fervor at the end of the 20th century?

How far and how long will this revival go?

What are the chief elements of the critique of the secular order mounted by the various religions and ethical traditions enjoying a resurgence of popularity?

To what degree are the religion-based critiques rooted in common assumptions and compatible responses to the perceived shortcomings of secularity?

What are the implications of this phenomenon particularly as they related to international politics: prospects of war and peace, economic development, and the definition of human rights and social justice?

For more information, contact Felisa Neuringer Klubes at the SAIS Public Affairs Office at 202.663.5626 or [email protected].