On November 7, 2013, David N. Hempton, Dean of Harvard Divinity School, and Stephen Prothero, Professor of Religion at Boston University, spoke about the importance of religious literacy and why government leaders and educators should not ignore the influence and role of religion in society.
The talk took place at the Harvard Club of New York City. Watch the full video or selected clips below.
Full video
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Professor Prothero talks about what inspired him to write his book Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know – and Doesn’t (HarperOne, 2007) and how he became interested in religious literacy.
Part 3:Prothero discusses civics education in America, why a similar approach to education about religion should be implemented, and some of the obstacles to this approach.
Part 4: Dean Hempton talks about his experience coming of age in Northern Ireland and how critical religious literacy is from a global perspective.
Part 5: Prothero and Hempton talk about the danger of ignoring the importance of religion.
Part 6: Q & A