Christian Scholars Conference opens session with Shaun Casey, Stephen Monsma

Janel Shoun | 

Lipscomb University announces that a Saturday, June 28, talk by Shaun Casey, the faith advisor to the Barack Obama campaign, and Stephen Monsma, theologian and author, will now be open to the public. The one-on-one discussion will be held at 10:30 a.m. in Lipscomb’s Ezell Center and will feature a one-on-one discussion about how their faith has led them to hold views on the opposite ends of the political spectrum.

Shaun Casey
Stephen Monsma
Both men will discuss their personal experience with faith issues within the political arena and their perspective on the role of religion in this year’s political climate and presidential election cycle.

Those interested in attending this event, which is offered free as part of the 28th Annual Christian Scholars Conference, held June 26-28, are asked to make a reservation by emailing Deidra Piatt at deidra.piatt@lipscomb.edu or by calling 615.966.5787.

Casey, associate professor of Christian ethics at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C., worked as a faith advisor to Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in 2004 before being tapped as a faith advisor for the Barack Obama campaign this year. The Obama campaign engaged Casey as their spokesperson to address the Jeremiah Wright controversy on Good Morning America and in other media. Casey is a frequent guest on Public Broadcasting System’s “Religion and Ethics Newsweekly” television show, where he was interviewed about Mitt Romney’s speech on Mormonism. He has also been interviewed on National Public Radio.

Casey is a visiting fellow at the Center for American Progress, and will soon have a new book published: “The Making of a Catholic President: Kennedy vs. Nixon, 1960.”

Monsma is a research fellow at the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at Calvin College in Michigan and author of the recent book “Healing for a Broken World: Christian Perspectives on Public Policy.”

Monsma is a former member of the Michigan Senate and House of Representatives and served as a director in the Michigan Department of Social Services. He has written books on issues such as welfare-to-work, public money for non-profit organizations and the justice system.

Monsma is also professor emeritus of political science at Pepperdine University and has published widely in the fields of public policy, church-state relations and faith-based nonprofit organizations.

Nearly 300 Christian scholars, hailing from institutions such as Yale Divinity School, University of Notre Dame, Vanderbilt Divinity School, Emory University and 65 other colleges and universities nationwide, will gather at Lipscomb University to discuss issues of faith and politics at the Christian Scholars Conference.