Introduction:

The Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit is an annual gathering of the foremost thought leaders on religious liberty. The summit stimulates and engages conversations between scholars, advocates, and religious leaders about the future of religious liberty worldwide. On June 28-29, 2021, the inaugural Religious Liberty Summit was held at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana. Subsequent summits will be held in Rome in 2022 and Jerusalem in 2023. The interfaith community prayer services made up of different congregations and sects, gave the opening remarks at the conference. Throughout the three-day discussion, there were different summits on various religious liberty topics, including polarization of religious liberty, a keynote from different panelists, international threats to religious liberty, and the book discussion on The Politics of Vulnerability. Each year during the summit, an individual is honored with the Notre Dame Prize for Religious Liberty for their achievement in preserving religious liberty.

Conference Highlights

The discussion on religious liberty explored challenges and opportunities in promoting understanding across faith communities. Panelists emphasized the need for education, advocacy, and inclusivity to overcome polarization. John Inazu and Reverend Marian Edmonds-Allen highlighted the importance of dialogue and listening to diverse perspectives, while Justin Gibboney and Asma Uddin noted the unique challenges faced by Black and Muslim communities, stressing the role of awareness and collaboration.

The series also examined the intersection of religion and the media. Experts like Gretchen Crowe, Emma Green, and Elizabeth Dias stressed that religious groups must engage with the press to ensure accurate, inclusive reporting, while addressing sensitive topics such as community practices and societal challenges.

Keynote speaker Cardinal Timothy Dolan framed religious freedom as central to human dignity and American identity, arguing that it protects both individuals and the exercise of faith itself. Interfaith dialogue and collaboration were highlighted as crucial for bridging divides, fostering accountability, and promoting civility. Panels further explored global threats to religious liberty, with speakers noting challenges in countries like North Korea, China, Iraq, and Canada, emphasizing the importance of humility, cultural understanding, and partnerships to advance freedom of belief worldwide.