Forging a More Civil Democracy: A Discussion of Faith, Values and Politics

The Rev. Jim Wallis, president and CEO of the progressive Christian organization Sojourners, has been a strong and influential voice in articulating the importance of values and vision for a society, particularly when it comes to shaping public policy. As part of its mission to "articulate the biblical call to social justice," and as Washington debated deficit reduction and government spending, Sojourners has advocated the importance of a "moral" budget that serves "the most vulnerable in our nation and around the world." The group has also advocated for immigration reform and for an end to the war in Afghanistan. At this event, Wallis will address the current issues our society faces and explore the values our nation holds and should hold, along with their role in forging sustainable concrete solutions that will forge a more civil democracy.

Jim Wallis is a best-selling author, public theologian, speaker and international commentator on ethics and public life. He recently served on the President"s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and currently serves as the chair of the Global Agenda Council on Faith for the World Economic Forum. He is the author of "Rediscovering Values: On Wall Street, Main Street and Your Street -- A Moral Compass for the New Economy" (2010), as well as New York Times best-sellers "The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith and Politics in a Post-Religious Right America" (2008) and "God"s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn"t Get It" (2005).

Copies of Wallis" book "Rediscovering Values: On Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street -- A Moral Compass for the New Economy" will be available for sale courtesy of Brazos Bookstore.

Students please RSVP to bisf@rice.edu.

This event was made possible through the generous support of: