Live video stream: At the Crossroads, Again: Mormon and Protestant Encounters in the Nineteenth and Twenty-First Centuries

Editor's note: This event has past. Click here to view the complete "At the Crossroads, Again" conference.

Presented by Wesley Theological Seminary & The Foundation for Religious Diplomacy

9:00-10:15 a.m. EST (7 a.m.-8:15 a.m. MST)

RELIGION AND AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE

Senator Robert Bennett

Shaun Casey, Wesley Theological Seminary

Matthew Holland, Utah Valley University

11:00-11:50 a.m. EST (9 a.m.-9:50 a.m. MST)

THE THEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF GENDER AND SEX IN MORMONISM AND PROTESTANTISM

Kathleen Flake, Vanderbilt University

Elaine Heath, Southern Methodist University

2:00-3:25 p.m. EST (12 p.m-1:25 p.m. MST)

RELIGION AND THE GLOBAL GOOD: MORMONS AND PROTESTANTS AT WORK IN GODS WORLD

Frances Adeney, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Warner Woodworth, Marriott School of Business, Brigham Young University

About the event:

This conference will engage the challenge and promise of dialogue between two religious traditions whose historical intersections have at times been characterized by misunderstanding and even condemnation: Mormonism and Protestant Christianity. Despite a strong historical connection in nineteenth century America, and a commonly claimed commitment to the moral teachings and saving power of Jesus, differences in doctrine and practice have complicated the relationship between Mormonism and Protestant Christianity. As both Latter-day Saints and Protestants move forward into the twenty-first century, they stand more ready than ever to engage in thoughtful dialogue and social collaboration.

This groundbreaking event between the Mormon Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy and Wesley Theological Seminary will facilitate a conversation of the mind and heart that will set a new standard for how members of religious communities can discuss differences in a way that does not compromise intellect or integrity, but is also sincere and empathetic. The events innovative format will feature engaging presentations by respected scholars and public figures in sessions designed to leverage the perspective and experience of all present. All content, including live musical performances, will be streamed and archived on the Internet.

The relevance of this dialogue reaches far beyond the bounds of the Protestant and Mormon communities. By modeling how religious traditions can build trust and friendship while discussing issues of persistent disagreement, the conference will demonstrate a powerful alternative to the uncivil tone that characterizes much religious and ideological discourse in the twenty-first century.