What is to be Done? Symposium of Under Caesar's Sword Project

4-20-17 Under Caeser's Sword National Press Club - photo Nathan Mitchell Photography-115.jpg

How do Christians respond to persecution and advance religious freedom for everyone? How can the rest of the world exercise solidarity with those especially persecuted?

These questions were at the heart of the one day symposium of the Under Caesar’s Sword project hosted at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on April 20, 2017.

More than 225 attendees gathered for the launch of the public report: In Response to Persecution: Findings of the Under Caesar’s Sword Project on Global Christian Communities.

This report was one of the fruits of the work done by a team of 17 scholars who studied the response to persecution by Christian communities in more than 25 countries across the globe. The results were captured in a report that includes not only the analytical findings of this research, but substantial recommendations for action by a host of actors from international advocacy and assistance organizations, academics, religious communities, government agencies, and even persecuted communities themselves.

The event featured keynote addresses from His Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Catholic Archbishop of Washington, D.C. and Ms. Farahnaz Ispahani, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and former member of the Pakistani parliament.

A wide number of speakers including project scholars, advocates for religious freedom, and representative from Christian communities around the globe provided analysis both on the findings of the project and more importantly – and the theme of the symposium – what is to be done.

His Excellency Sebastian Francis Shaw, Archbishop of Lahore, Pakistan provided a powerful testimony from his own life experience of shepherding a church in the context of incredible challenge and opposition.

The event also featured a special screening of the documentary Under Caesar’s Sword, directed by award-winning director Jason Cohen.

The full videos of event are available from the Under Caesar’s Sword website here: http://ucs.nd.edu/public-events/launch/watch/

Welcoming Remarks

Thomas Farr

President, Religious Freedom Institute, and Director, Religious Freedom Research Project, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs

Dr. Thomas Farr welcomes participants to the event and introduces Cardinal Wuerl.

Watch

Keynote Address

Donald Cardinal Wuerl

Archbishop of Washington

His Eminence Cardinal Wuerl delivers a keynote address, “Always Mindful of Our Suffering Brothers and Sisters in the Middle East.”

Watch

Presentation of Findings

Daniel Philpott

Professor of Political Science, University of Notre Dame

Dr. Daniel Philpott announces the launch of the report In Response to Persecution, including his take on the major findings and why they matter.

Watch

Conversation on Findings

Archbishop Sebastian Francis Shaw

Archbishop of Lahore, Pakistan

Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou and Abp. Sebastian Shaw join the conversation in response to the presentation of the report.

Watch

Special screening of the new documentary Under Caesar’s Sword

www.ucs.nd.edu/film

Special screening of the new documentary Under Caesar’s Sword

www.ucs.nd.edu/film

Keynote Address

Farahnaz Ispahani

Global Fellow, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Farahnaz Ispahani delivers a keynote address, “Pitting Muslims Against Christians: Lessons from Pakistan.”

Watch

Timothy Shah

Senior Advisor, Religious Freedom Institute and Director for International Research, Religious Freedom Research Project

Panel: “What is to Be Done by Leading Sectors?”

Moderator: Timothy Shah, Religious Freedom Institute

Panelists: Brian Grim, Religious Freedom and Business Foundation; George Marlin, Aid to the Church in Need, USA; Hon. David Saperstein, Former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom; Nina Shea, Hudson Institute

Watch

David Saperstein

Former US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom

Kent Hill

Executive Director, Religious Freedom Institute

Panel: “Responding to the Persecution of Christians in the Middle East and Central Asia”

Moderator: Kathleen Collins, University of Minnesota (Central Asia)

Panelists: Mariz Tadros, Sussex University (Egypt, Libya, and Gaza); Kent Hill, Religious Freedom Institute (Syria and Iraq); Christian Van Gorder, Baylor University (Saudi Arabia and Iran)

Watch

Audience interaction with the speakers and panelists helped to provide context and application for the report.

Robert Hefner

Professor of Anthropology, Boston University

Panel: “Responding to the Persecution of Christians in South, East, and Southeast Asia”

Moderator: Sara Singha, Georgetown University (Pakistan)

Panelists: Fenggang Yang, Purdue University (China); Robert Hefner, Boston University (Indonesia); Chad Bauman, Butler University (India); James Ponniah, University of Madras (India)

Watch

The symposium was hosted by the Under Caesar’s Sword project and its main partners the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture and the Religious Freedom Institute, in collaboration with Aid to the Church in Need USA.

Co-sponsoring the event were the Program on Church, State & Society at the University of Notre Dame, the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University, In Defense of Christians, and the Institute for Global Engagement.

To learn more about the Under Caesar’s Sword project and to access additional resources visit: www.ucs.nd.edu