On February 17, Facing History is hosting a unique workshop in Paris, titled "What Do We Do with a Difference?: Religion, Politics, and the Public Space." We will examine age-old questions of the relationship between religion and democracy that have resurfaced in the wake of events like the headscarf debate in France and the controversy over the Park51/Ground Zero Mosque.
Accelerated globalization brings together new and old cultures and for the many individuals, groups, and nations, the challenges of diversity and identity are inescapable. These personal and political challenges will no doubt continue to shape public debates the world over. In an election year in the U.S. and France these challenges can be exploited by politicians from all sides trying to shape the debate to their advantage.
The challenge for citizens is to see through the politics and engage in civil dialogue and seek a deeper understanding of the issues at play. “What Do We do with a Difference?: Religion, Politics, and Public Spaces” seeks to explore the contours of these discussions.
The day-long workshop will focus on how politics shape group and national identity and how, in turn, different groups react to these policies, and explore several milestones in the history of the United States and France that offer an insight into the tensions that continue to unsettle the status quo surrounding religion in the public space.
From our archive, an intriguing post from scholar Alan S. Kahan, one of our panelists in Paris.
Tocqueville on Democracy and Religion [1]
Alexis de Tocqueville's visit to the early US convinced him that democracy and religion could be natural allies. What lessons do his insights hold for nations struggling over freedom and faith today?