Ep. 131 Eboo Patel: Interfaith America is a Potluck Dinner

America's religious diversity is growing. Eboo Patel argues that emphasizing that diversity will make the United States stronger, especially if US citizens invest in civic institutions. Patel's use of the potluck metaphor is especially pertinent. Named “one of America’s best leaders” by US News and World Report, Eboo is Founder and President of Interfaith America, the leading interfaith organization in the United States. Under his leadership, IA has worked with governments, universities, private companies, and civic organizations to make faith a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division. He served on President Obama’s Inaugural Faith Council, has given hundreds of keynote addresses, and has written five books, including “We Need to Build: Fieldnotes for Diverse Democracy” published in May 2022. He is an Ashoka Fellow and holds a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship. Eboo lives in Chicago with his wife, Shehnaz, and two sons.