Religion

Join us for a conversation on the role of religious thought in the shaping of American democracy and religious freedom with Jerome Copulsky, research fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs at Georgetown University and Adam Jortner, history professor at Auburn University. Copulsky’s American Heretics: Religious Adversaries of Liberal Order examines how religious criticism of liberalism, including during the founding period, continues to inform perspectives on the role of religion in American public life. Jortner’s A Promised Land: Jewish Patriots, the American Revolution, and the Birth of Religious Freedom illuminates the centrality of Judaism to the debates over religious freedom. The conversation will be moderated by UVA religious studies professor Nichole Flores.

A limited number of lunches will be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 11:30 AM. Copulsky's and Jortner's books will be available for purchase. Parking is not available at Bond House. If you plan to drive, there is paid parking within walking distance at the Oakhurst Inn and Central Grounds Garage. For additional handicap accessible parking spots, consult the .

The Nau Lab's “Touchstones of Democracy” series explores key events, places, thinkers, and texts that inform the history and principles of democracy. Leading up to the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence in July 2026, this event series is showcasing recent books that expand and deepen our understanding of the era of the American Revolution—and illuminate the connections of that period to the present.

The spring 2026 conversations are produced at the University of Virginia by the Karsh Institute of Democracy and the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

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