In Good Faith

Cami Nelson discusses how she was inspired to work with special needs individuals in her photography business, creating portraits for families that reflect the beauty of children with Down Syndrome. Cami Nelson is a Utah-based photographer who has worked with humanitarian groups in Kenya and Armenia to document their activities and accomplishments. She also specializes in photography for special needs individuals.

Anju Bhargava is a community builder with over four decades of experience developing multi-dimensional strategies to address critical issues in an interdependent global environment. A Vedantic teacher and ordained Hindu minister/chaplain, Anju was the only Hindu American appointed to President Obama’s Inaugural Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, where she founded Hindu American Seva Communities to promote community service and social justice. She has also served on the Department of Homeland Security’s Faith-Based Security and Communications Advisory Committee and was a White House Community Builder Fellow during the Clinton Administration.

Greg Jones has a great story of faith but he is also working to help young people develop their faith stories. It’s a conversation about vocation, Spirit, the goodness of God, Soul, music, and a little bit of sports. Dr. Greg Jones is the president of Belmont University in Nashville, TN, an ecumenical Christian university. He is also the host of the podcast The Hope People. He currently serves on the boards of the John Templeton Foundation, the McDonald Agape Foundation and the India Collective. Dr. Jones is married to the Rev. Susan Pendleton Jones.

Sabeeha Rehman, an author, podcaster, blogger, playwright, and speaker on the American Muslim experience, is best known for her award-winning book Threading My Prayer Rug: One Woman’s Journey From Pakistani Muslim to American Muslim. She is an op-ed contributor to the Wall Street Journal. She also co-founded the National Autism Association New York Metro chapter, serving as its President from 2008-2011.

James Patrick Thomas, author of Atomic Pilgrim, describes his journey walking thousands of miles for peace and nuclear disarmament. Driven by a profound faith and inspired by a pivotal moment with Mother Teresa, Thomas describes the intersections of faith, suffering, and activism in his life. James Patrick Thomas serves on Pax Christi USA’s Disarmament Working Group and facilitates the Pax Christi chapter at St. Joseph Parish in Seattle. He began advocating for nuclear disarmament in the 1980s, as a member of the Bethlehem Peace Pilgrimage. He spent the next quarter century investigating radioactive pollution from the production and testing of nuclear weapons, mostly focused on the Hanford Site in south-central Washington State.

Diana Butler Bass discusses her new book, which delves into the significance of the Christian liturgical year and its impact on personal faith. She shares the importance of community, conviviality, and the ritual of the table in Christianity. Diana Butler Bass, PhD, is an author, speaker, preacher, and commentator on religion and contemporary spirituality. She holds a doctorate in religious studies from Duke University and is the author of eleven books, most recently A Beautiful Year, based on the Christian Lectionary cycle.

Vineetha Mahayaye shares his experience as a 10-year-old monk in a monastery, choosing a solitary vocation as a young person, and presently counseling university students. The Venerable Vineetha Mahayaye is a Buddhist Chaplain at Tufts University, where he leads meditation programs for students and staff. He holds a Master’s Degree in Divinity from Harvard Divinity School. He is originally from Sri Lanka.

Thomas Long talks about his new book, Proclaiming the Parables, and how these stories from Jesus challenge our perceptions and reveal the unpredictable generosity of the divine. Dr. Thomas Long is professor emeritus at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. His introductory textbook, The Witness of Preaching, is widely used in theological schools around the world. He serves as an editor-at-large at The Christian Century. A Presbyterian minister, Long has served churches in Georgia and New Jersey.

Adam Jortner explains how the American Revolution increased opportunities for Jews, allowing them to achieve citizenship and serve in the military. He also addresses the misconception that America was founded as a Christian nation. Adam Jortner is Professor of Religion in the Department of History at Auburn University. He specializes in the history of religion in the American Revolution and the early nation, with particular emphasis on religious liberty, patriotism and piety, theology, and new religious traditions. He is the author most recently of A Promised Land: Jewish Patriots, the American Revolution, and the Birth of Religious Freedom.

Patricia Matthews, an Episcopal priest in Little Rock, Arkansas, discusses her journey from Southern Baptist roots through a decade-long exploration of various religious traditions to her current role as the director of the Interfaith Center. Matthews highlights the importance of interfaith dialogue and shares personal stories of building interfaith relationships, combating fear, and the impact of a dedicated physical space for interfaith activities. The Rev. Patricia Matthews is Executive Director of The Interfaith Center and Assistant Rector at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church. Under her leadership, the Center moved into its first standalone home and expanded citywide partnerships. She also speaks frequently on faith-in-action and religious freedom, including panels at BYU Law’s Religious Freedom Annual Review and Hendrix College.