Am I angry about the SCOTUS decision today that basically lets ICE ask for your papers like goons in a police state? You bet I am: www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

Forty-five local preservation and historical organizations have convened to send a message to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum: Removing or editing Philly slavery exhibits is “ahistorical and un-American.” (1/3)

“…I am infuriated that the Air Force plans to grant military funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt. She did not die defending the Constitution. She died trying to overturn it.” My latest in @thebulwark.com www.thebulwark.com/p/honoring-a...

There is no question we are being tested but moments of seeming hopelessness can be the prelude to a breakthrough. @ianbassin.bsky.social offers a framework for how to situate ourselves and endure in defense of our democracy. www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/the-hard-w...

All The Demands Trump Is Making Of The Smithsonian theonion.com/all-the...

ICE, America's first interior police, are not being built up, at the cost of billions, just to monitor immigration www.nytimes.com/2025/08/14/u...

“Trump can change whatever sign he likes,” said Bruggeman, “but that won't erase the memory of Philadelphians coming together to insist on an honest reckoning with our past.” www.inquirer.com/politics/nat...

THIS IS NOT CONSTITUTIONAL. They cannot commandeer state and local law enforcement because they want to. THIS IS NOT LAWFUL. They cannot use federalized guard or military personnel for civilian law enforcement absent rebellion and insurrection.

“Everyone is a complicated person, even the founding fathers of our country. And so we want to make sure that the real truth is told and that we don’t do a disservice to the ancestors, the enslaved who lived here." --Rev. Mark Tyler whyy.org/articles/phi...

“Americans have grown markedly more positive toward immigration over the past year, with the share wanting immigration reduced dropping from 55% in 2024 to 30% today. At the same time, a record-high 79% of U.S. adults say immigration is a good thing for the country.” news.gallup.com/poll/692522/...

Laughing in front of cages designed to hold migrants and refugees, many of whom came to this country fleeing extreme violence and poverty, and hoping to raise their children in a more compassionate country. And many of whom followed all the legal procedures to enter the country.

So, 65% of the annual NEH budget.

Dialogue Institute Program and Administrative Director Andi Laudisio orchestrated a student training at Harriton High School this May, focusing on fostering conflict resolution skills. The workshop guided high school students through the essential components of meaningful #dialogue.

Today, at the World Affairs Council, I spoke with a group of human rights activists, educators, & law enforcement officials from Indonesia. We discussed dialogue & teaching strategies for building sustained relationships across religious differences & reducing violence. @dialogueinst.bsky.social

Two weeks ago, the Dialogue Institute and the University of Pennsylvania collaborated on an in-person training focused on adaptive leadership in rapidly changing environments and how bias impedes leadership. Read more here: penntoday.upenn.edu/title-VI-off... #community #education #dialogue

Philadelphia, The Revolutionary City, opens tomorrow! Read more about the exhibition exploring the remarkable lives of Philadelphians who experienced the American Revolution: www.amphilsoc.org/news/philade...

Last week, we met with 60 K-12 teachers from Lower Merion to discuss combatting antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias in classrooms. Led by David Krueger, Jason Holtzman, and Majid Alsayegh, our discussion highlighted the power of #dialogue to foster #understanding across differences. #K12education

If American religion were 100 people 63 Christians: 23 Evangelicals 19 Catholics 11 Mainline 5 Black Protestants 3 Other Christians 2 LDS 7 Other World Religions: 2 Jews 2 Other 1 Buddhist 1 Hindu 1 Muslim 30 Unaffiliated: 19 Nothing in particular 6 Agnostics 5 Atheists

🚨 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨 I started something new: Scholar.DIY — a public benefit company to help scholars turn research into meaningful digital storytelling. 1/6

The 2025 Boardman Symposium THE SCOPES TRIAL AT 100: SECULARISM, RACE, AND EDUCATION is happening this week! This 1.5-day workshop will begin at 4pm on Thursday, March 20 and continue through Friday with a series of roundtable conversations. Registration: www.library.upenn.edu/america-250-...

📢 Today is the LAST day to apply to our City of Brotherly Love K-12 Institute! Join us this summer in Philadelphia to explore the role of religious diversity in American history: www.cityofbrotherlyloveinstitute.org/apply @nehgov.bsky.social @pahumanities.bsky.social #humanities #K12

DEADLINE TODAY! Applications for the #NEHgov 2025 summer Landmarks and Institutes are DUE TODAY. Explore the offerings and learn more at ow.ly/BHcH50Utj86.

📣 ATTENTION: Only TWO days left to submit your City of Brotherly Love (COBL) Institute applications! 📣 The deadline to apply is March 5, 2025, by 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). www.cityofbrotherlyloveinstitute.org/apply

Make some calls. Every day. 5calls.org

I consider myself a resident of West Philly, not University City, no matter how close I am to the universities. I have yet to encounter a person who calls this neighborhood "U City," and I'm baffled as to why this polling indicates it is widely accepted. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...

"You hear that Dallas Cowboys? The Philadelphia Eagles are now America's team." Governor Josh Shapiro. Yes!!!! Go Birds!!!

This is a great opportunity for K-12 educators to explore the history of diverse religious people in early Philadelphia. We'll discuss how religion impacts national conversations about democracy & the limits/possibilities of religious freedom. Apply now! www.cityofbrotherlyloveinstitute.org/apply

What does it mean to work with love in a world of diverse beliefs and cultures? How can we weave our actions with care, as if building something meaningful for everyone, regardless of their faith or background? Share in the comments below! #Interfaith #Pluralism #BuildBridges #Diversity #Love

Lots of fireworks, honking and yelling here in West Philly! What a great day for the city.

Brotherly shove for the score!

I urge people to read this article from Christianity Today, especially in light of Trump's pledge to create a task force to police "anti-Christian bias." Trump and Musk just shutdown hundreds of millions of faith-based humanitarian efforts around the world. www.christianitytoday.com/2025/02/usai...

It is just amazing to me that a basic Christian plea for mercy and compassion is charcaterized by some as a "radical political ideology."

Eagles on the move!

My kids and I shared a few jokes this morning about not showering since last year (gross!) and not feeding the cat since last year (poor Leo!). That is a pretty good way to start off the new year in my view. Happy New Year to all!

Need some holiday gift ideas for the religion/theology nerd in your life? Here's a list of 31 books reviewed by our Journal of Ecumenical Studies in 2024! Books by top scholars such as Donavan Schaefer, Marianne Moyaert, Danya Ruttenberg, Hans Gustafson, et al. dialogueinstitute.org/diablogue-bl...

We are excited to host a summer institute titled "City of Brotherly Love: Religious Diversity, Freedom, and the Founding of the Nation in Philadelphia." K-12 educators in schools, museums, and other institutions can apply now: cityofbrotherlyloveinstitute.org

An opportunity for K-12 educators to learn how to incorporate religious literacy in their curricula. Spend two weeks with us in Philadelphia this summer visiting historic sites, museums, and learning from some of the top scholars in the history of religion in the U.S.!

Tony Campolo was a huge influence on me in my 20s. He is the reason I moved from Minnesota to Philadelphia back in the 90s to do community-based, social justice work with churches. His vision inspired so many. A life well lived. religionnews.com/2024/11/19/t...

My colleague, Dr. Zain Abdullah, and I received an @NEHgov grant to host an institute for educators working with K-12 students on the theme of religious diversity, freedom, and the founding of the U.S. To receive updates and an application: forms.gle/CCBFf7p9VGCD... Please share!

I'm looking to run a training institute for K12 educators on the themes of history and religious diversity in the US/Philly. I need to find a public school educator (Philly area) to serve as a consultant and peer mentor. Please let me know if you can recommend someone!

Please help us tell the story of Philadelphia's religious diversity during the founding of the U.S. Your DONATION TODAY will help us train guides and offer tours to facilitate dialogue about religiously diverse democracies today! Donate via Venmo: account.venmo.com/u/dialoguein... #America250

Religious identities are more fluid than many assume. Our Journal of Ecumenical Studies just published a fascinating article by Dr. So Jung Kim. "Speaking In-Between: Vernacular Spirituality of a Woman in Late Chosǒn Korea." @DialogueINST #Confucian #Christian dialogueinstitute.org/diablogue-bl...

“We can and should disagree about things - if we didn’t, we wouldn’t be fulfilling the purpose of this university. We have a calling to disagree with each other, but what we can’t do is dehumanize each other,” Ms. Murtazashvili said. “We have to have compassion.” www.post-gazette.com/news/educati...

Graduates of Temple University's Department of Religion are doing great things at the American Academy of Religion, including Executive Director Claudia Schippert and Director of Programs and Publications Amy Defibaugh! It was wonderful to see so many Temple friends and colleagues! #AARSBL23

I’m on the ground in San Antonio. Looking forward to #aarsbl23 !

America's first declaration against slavery was written in 1688 in Philadelphia's Germantown. It was not acted upon but the abolition movement began to grow over the next several decades. G-town's Johnson House was a stop on the Underground Railroad. www.inquirer.com/news/inq2/ge...

Today marks the 300th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin’s arrival in Philadelphia. He was a media mogul, diplomat, inventor, and one of America’s greatest civic leaders. He had an incredible ability to bring people together across vast differences to further projects for civic good. #BenFranklin