Tissue 2015 - 44th National Theological Conference: Creating Common Good: A Practical Conference on Economic Equality

Many Christians worry about being complicit in a system that perpetuates economic inequality, a system that conflicts with deeply held religious values about social justice. But there are those who believe solutions are possible and that economic inequality represents a core justice issue that can be a vital focus for preaching, teaching, and social action.
From January 22-25, 2015 at Trinity Wall Street, a diverse group of scholars, faith leaders and economists including Dr. Cornel West, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Barbara Ehrenreich and Robert Reich will offer strategies for developing a more just economy and instill the confidence to take action for social change at Trinity Institute’s 44th National Theological Conference, Creating Common Good: A Practical Conference on Economic Equality. Conference participation is open to anyone interested in a practical, theological perspective on economic inequality and ideal for seminarians, students and young church leaders looking for thought-leadership from experts and activists.
Dr. West, author of The Rich and the Rest of Us, will offer an opening keynote building the framework of the conference. Archbishop Welby will consider when inequality becomes sinful and talk about the common good. Ms. Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed, is set to discuss the class divide in American society, delving into issues such as immigration, poverty, gender, and mobility.
An economist, author and professor, former Secretary of Labor Reich will discuss his 2013 documentary, “Inequality for All” via Skype. This eye-opening film seeks to discover what makes up a good society and what role the widening income gap plays in the deterioration of the nation’s economic health.
The conference will be held at Trinity Church (Broadway at Wall Street, New York City); registration is open now for on-site participants. Video-linked partner sites?which include churches, cathedrals, seminaries, and other organizations?are located throughout the United States and abroad. Partner sites offer all aspects of the conference either in real time, via webcast?where participants can submit questions for speakers via email during the live Q&A?or via video at a later time. Onsite reflection groups are coordinated using materials prepared and provided by Trinity Institute.
“Trinity Institute’s 44th National Theological Conference recognizes that many of us feel fearful and hopeless about economic inequality in the U.S. We know the ever-growing gap between the have and the have-nots is a serious but correctable obstacle for human thriving. As we look to the Church in seeking change, this theological conference will bring together action-oriented experts to provide hopeful, clear, practical tools that communities can use to make a positive impact,” said Bob Scott, director of Trinity Institute.
Keynote speakers for this year’s conference include:
Keynote speaker Dr. Cornel West (The Rich and the Rest of Us), Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary and a prominent and provocative democratic intellectual.
The Most Rev. Justin Welby (Archbishop of Canterbury), a former business executive who has focused his writing on ethics, international finance and reconciliation.
Barbara Ehrenreich (Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, This Land Is Their Land), a writer and activist currently working on the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.
Juliet Schor (Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth), Professor of Sociology at Boston College.
The Rt. Rev. Julio Murray (Bishop of Panama), a passionate advocate for justice in Panama and internationally through his work for the Anglican Communion.
Panelists include:
Rachel Held Evans (Faith Unraveled: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask Questions), New York Times best-selling Christian author and popular blogger, who has been featured on NPR, Slate, The BB and The Washington Post.
Jennifer Jones Austin (Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies), CEO and Executive Director of FPWA, which promotes the social and economic well-being of greater New York’s most vulnerable.
R.R. Reno (Editor of First Things magazine), a theology teacher at Creighton University and the author of In the Ruins of the Church: Sustaining Faith in an Age of Diminished Christianity.
Nicole Baker Fulgham (founder and President of Expectations Project), an activist who develops and mobilizes faith-motivated advocates who help close the academic achievement gap in public schools.
Robert Reich (Aftershock: The Next Economy and America’s Future), Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley and Senior Fellow at the Blum Center for Developing Economies. Reich also served as Secretary of Labor in the Clinton Administration.
Trinity Institute offers two (2) Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for all persons who complete each year’s National Theological Conference.
To become a partner site whether in the United States or abroad, visit http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/trinity-institute....
For more information about attending the conference in person at Trinity Church, visit http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/trinity-institute..., call 1-212-300-9902 or email institute-AT-trinitywallstreet.org.
For more information about Trinity Institute, visit TI2015.org.
Trinity Institute
Trinity Institute is a continuing education program founded in 1967 as an outreach of Trinity Wall Street, an Episcopal parish. The Institute’s annual National Theological Conference equips clergy and laypersons for imaginative and catalytic leadership. Recent conferences include Building an Ethical Economy: Theology and the Marketplace, Reading Scripture Through Other Eyes, and Radical Christian Life: Equipping Ourselves for Social Change. The conference presents emerging and inclusive theological perspectives and engages participants in inquiry, dialogue, and reflection. Theological reflection groups are assembled both onsite and at partner sites and provide opportunities to arrive at a deeper understanding of the presentations through peer learning, reflect on how to integrate conference themes with life and work, and build community with colleagues. Participants from all denominations and faith traditions are welcomed.
Trinity Wall Street
Located at the head of Wall Street, Trinity Church has been part of New York City’s and our nation’s history since its charter in 1697. Today, the organization has grown to include many important areas of focus and is collectively known as Trinity Wall Street. Most importantly, Trinity Wall Street is an Episcopal parish offering daily worship services and faith formation programs at Trinity Church, St. Paul’s Chapel, and online at trinitywallstreet.org. In addition, Trinity Wall Street includes Trinity Grants, providing $80 million in funding to 85 countries since 1972; Trinity Preschool; Charlotte’s Place, a community space; Trinity Institute, an annual theological conference; an extensive arts program presenting more than 100 concerts each year through Concerts at One, the Choir of Trinity Wall Street, and the Trinity Youth Chorus; and Trinity Real Estate, which manages the parish’s six million square feet of commercial real estate in lower Manhattan. For more information, visit trinitywallstreet.org.