The Inaugural Symposium of the Ambassador John L. Loeb, Jr. Initiative on Religious Freedom and Its Implications was held at Harvard University’s Tsai Auditorium on May 1, 2014.
This initiative is a joint undertaking of the Harvard University Center for American Political Studies and the George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom. The program explores the causes, processes and effects of religious freedom in cultures and countries by supporting Harvard student and faculty research on this topic, as well as academic conferences and workshops.
The well-attended event was moderated by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., with Sheikh Dr. Yasir Qadhi, Reverend J. Brent Walker, and Rabbi Angela W. Buchdahl. The evening was sponsored by the Center for American Political Studies, the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, and the George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom. Participants, representing Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religions, discussed the role of religion in public life, the challenges of interfaith dialogue, and the critical nature of religion in making the world better.
Professor Daniel Carpenter, director of the Center for American Political Studies, commented that “This inspiring symposium is part of a larger and longer conversation on religious freedom, pluralism, and toleration, and I’m both deeply grateful to Ambassador Loeb for supporting this vision and thrilled that Harvard is launching this dialogue.”