Faith Commons

The Luther Center of North Texas Presents The 11th Annual Herbener Lecture
2023-11-16 19:00 UTC
Topic:
The Psychology of Christian Nationalism – How People are Drawn in and How to Talk Across the Divide
Topic Summary:
Join us for an enlightening event at King of Glory Lutheran Church in Dallas as we delve into the fascinating topic of Christian Nationalism. In this time of political and religious discord, having an understanding of the Christian nationalist movement is critical for the Gospel work of social justice. What attracts people to extremist views, and how can we talk with family members, friends and congregation members who have “gone down the rabbit hole” of right-wing politics and conspiracy theories? As the 2024 election cycle draws closer, the Rev. Dr. Pamela Cooper-White will give a presentation based on her new book, The Psychology of Christian Nationalism (Fortress Press,2022), and engage with a panel around these critical and timely issues.
Panel Discussion will be led by Rev. George A. Mason, Ph.D. Senior Pastor Emeritus Wilshire Baptist Church. Members of the panel will include Rabbi Nancy Kasten of Faith Commons and lawyer Amanda Tyler, Executive Director of BJC (Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty).
A book signing will follow.
Registration URL:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-psychology-of-christian-nationalism-tickets-720795006267

Co-Sponsors:
Faith Commons – https://faithcommons.org/
Christians Against Christian Nationalism – https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/

Speaker Bio and Info:
The Rev. Pamela Cooper-White, Ph.D., is the Christiane Brooks Johnson Professor Emerita of Psychology, and Religion, and Dean and Vice President Emerita for Academic Affairs, at Union Theological Seminary, New York. She also served since 2016 as Assisting Priest at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. An award-winning author, she has published 10 books, including The Cry of Tamar: Violence against Women and the Church’s Response (in 2 ed.); Shared Wisdom: Use of the Self in Pastoral Care & Counseling; and Many Voices: Pastoral Psychotherapy in Relational and Theological Perspective. Her latest book is The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: How People Are Drawn in and How to Talk Across the Divide (Fortress Press, 2022). She was the 2013-14 Fulbright-Freud Scholar of Psychoanalysis at the Freud Museum in Vienna; is an Academic Member of the American Psychoanalytic Association and was just awarded Honorary Membership in the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis (NPAP New York). She serves as President of the International Association for Spiritual Care in Switzerland; on the Board of the Freud Foundation U.S. (Freud Museum Vienna); the editorial Board of the Journal of Pastoral Theology; and the Steering Committee of the Psychology, Culture, and Religion Group of the American Academy of Religion. She lectures frequently in the U.S. and internationally.

Website: luthercenter-northtexas.org
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/luthercenternorthtexas
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/877992980617203?ref=newsfeed

Luther Center of North Texas Contacts:
Event Coordinator:
Becky Brakke
bbindal@aol.com
214-354-6638

Graphics Coordinator:
Kari Daelke
karid@mac.com
972-365-0116

A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
2023-10-09 08:00 - 2023-10-18 17:00
This October, you are invited to join George and Nancy for an Interfaith tour of the places and events that shape our historic religious attachment to the Holy Land. We will meet with and learn from Israelis and Palestinians, some Jewish, some Christian, and some Muslim, who are thinking about a future in which the Holy Land can be a hospitable and sacred place to all of God’s people.
Learn more here: https://mejditours.com/open-tour/what-is-holy-about-this-land/

Summer Book Discussion: Poverty, by America
2023-09-19 19:00 - 20:30
This summer, the Faith Commons Book Pick is Matthew Desmond’s Poverty, by America.
Join us as we explore the uncomfortable truths about how those of us who live above the poverty line benefit from the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters.
And mark your calendars for September 19 at 7 pm central when we will gather virtually to discuss the book together!

Wake Forest University: Community Worship Service
2023-04-04 11:00
Rev. George A. Mason, Ph.D., founder and president of Faith Commons is a featured speaker for the 2022-2023 James and Marilyn Dunn Chair in Baptist Studies Lecture Series “What Kind of Baptist? The Importance of Public Witness in a Secular Age.”

The mission statement of the School of Divinity reads, “Wake Forest University School of Divinity is Christian by tradition, Baptist in heritage, and ecumenical in outlook.“ Over a third of our students identify with the Baptist faith, and even more encounter this rich tradition through our Baptist Commons Program, course offerings, and community gatherings. This year’s lecture series goes to the very heart of our distinctive community as we engage a plurality of Baptist voices in the public square.

What Kind of Baptist? The Importance of Public Witness in a Secular Age
2023-04-03 17:00

Interfaith Luncheon: Interfaith Peacebuilding in Israel and Palestine
2023-02-17 12:00 - 14:00
Faith leaders of the Dallas/Fort Worth area are invited to join Faith Commons and Churches for Middle East Peace for a luncheon and conversation about the importance of Interfaith Peacebuilding in Israel and Palestine. We will hear a short message from three esteemed Palestinian Christian leaders from Bethlehem– Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, and Jack Sara. The luncheon will include opportunities for networking and discussion about hurdles and best practices for interfaith coalition building towards justice and peace in Palestine and Israel.

Baptist House of Studies hosts Sacred Speech Writing Workshop
2023-02-06 - 2023-02-07
Sacred Speech: A Writing Workshop for Pastors, Prophets, and Poets is for anyone with a story to tell or an interest in how writing can connect us with each other and the divine.
Baptist House of Studies | Perkins School of Theology
Our keynote speakers will be Jonathan Merritt, an award-winning faith and culture writer, and Erin Lane, an author, theologian, and vocational facilitator.
There will also be several workshops, a conversation about the publication process, a panel discussion about writing as spiritual practice, a time for book signing, and the option to schedule a one-on-one writing consultation.
You can register HERE or click on the link at the bottom of the attached flyer. Registration would make a great gift for friends, family, or yourself!
Welcome to the SMU eStore. Sacred Speech: A Writing Workshop for Pastors, Prophets, and Poet (nbsstore.net)

A Global Moment in Time: Peace and Justice
2023-01-20 09:00 - 10:30
This hybrid Global Moment in Time special initiative includes a virtual component in Fall 2021 and an in-person component in Spring 2023. Both components will examine ways to build peace and justice at local and regional levels around the world. Participants will learn how leaders and organizations in the United States actively engage in mediating disputes arising from political, socioeconomic, ethnic, religious, and regional differences. They will explore conflict resolution methods and strategies for directing positive political, social, and economic change in a democratic society. Participants will examine and share essential leadership skills needed to balance divergent social demands and interests when confronting political, social, and economic challenges. They will explore the skills necessary to participate effectively in international fora to end conflict, promote justice, and sustain peace. The project will include a series of interactive dialogues, a global virtual summit on Peace and Justice, and an action planning session. Participants will contribute to a joint visual presentation – as a digital or print publication – that amplifies their involvement in peace and justice activities in their communities.

6th Annual MLK Teach-In
2023-01-14 10:00
Dr. Mason co-presents with Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, at the 6th Annual MLK Teach-in. As you are aware, the MLK Teach-In focuses on King’s faith that led him into the streets to protest and into the corridors of power to influence public policy and provide ways for people to live out their faith in public life. This year’s theme continues the conversation regarding King’s theological orientation and public ministry. 2023 marks the 55th anniversary of the Memphis Sanitation Strike March/Movement. In light of the current social issues, upcoming Texas Legislative Session, and injustices in our local and global communities, we will explore themes from the Memphis Sanitation Strike March/Movement and the faith that undergirded the march. We will also pick up on the theme of Christian responsibility from King’s imaginary letter entitled Paul’s Letter to American Christians.

Revolutionary Love Project Intensive Workshop with Valarie Kaur
2022-12-21, 2022-09-09 11:00 - 12:30
Author and activist Valarie Kaur is coming to Dallas on September 9, 2022 for an intensive workshop.
Tickets for this workshop are $250. A copy of See No Stranger is included with this ticket purchase, as well as a box lunch.
The workshop is being held September 9 at 11:00 a.m. at Paul Quinn College in the Grand Lounge.

Confronting Our Global Ecological Crisis
2022-11-01 19:00 - 21:00
Join us for this colloquium bringing religious leaders, scholars, and scientists together to address the crisis we face as a community on earth heading towards destruction.
When: Tuesday, November 1, 2022 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Prothro Great Hall, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX

The T.B. Maston Foundation Award Dinner
2022-10-27 18:00 - 20:00
Please join us for The T.B. Maston Foundation Award Dinner.
Thursday, October 27, 2022 @ 6pm
Wilshire Baptist Church
4316 Abrams Rd., Dallas, Texas 75214
This biennial celebration honors those leading work in the area of Christian Ethics.
This year, The T.B. Maston Foundation will recognize the work of Faith Commons and its leaders—Rev. Dr. George Mason and Rabbi Nancy Kasten.
Faith Commons is a Dallas-based organization convening faith leaders and people of good faith for conversations around issues critical to life together.

Tickets & Tables:
Table of 8 honoring Faith Commons, $1,000 | Table for 8, $500 | Individual ticket, $60
Reservations:
Reserve your spot by email then pay for your ticket or table here.

Screening of "Boycott" Documentary & Panel Discussion
2022-10-23 16:00 - 18:30
Faith Commons will screen the documentary “Boycott” in partnership with the Dedman School of Law First Amendment Clinic on Sunday, October 23 at 4 p.m. at SMU’s Underwood Law Library. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion on current threats to free expression and the First Amendment. Boycott traces the impact of state legislation designed to penalize individuals and companies that choose to boycott Israel. It follows three plaintiffs—one in Texas, one in Arkansas, and one in Arizona— whose rights were impacted by this legislation.
Anti-boycott laws, like book bans, aim to suppress certain ideas and narratives. Since 2015 a slew of anti-BDS legislation has been passed on both the Federal and State levels, with very little consideration of legal precedent. In 2021 Governor Abbott signed a bill banning government contracts with companies that “discriminate against the firearms or ammunition industries.” Now our tax dollars cannot be spent to access goods and services from companies or contractors who choose to divest from these industries in any way. A parallel law was signed in the same legislative session with regard to the fossil fuel industry.
Boycotts are a non-violent way to rally social and political change. Just as anti-abortion laws prevent women from accessing resources they need to protect their health and wellbeing, anti-boycott laws prevent citizens from advocating for themselves through the exercise of free speech, in any of its forms.
Faith Commons has chosen to screen this film in advance of the November midterm elections to raise awareness and understanding about the intended and unintended consequences of anti-boycott legislation, including the legislation that Governor Abbott signed into law in the 2021 legislative session.
Panelists
Nancy Kasten
Rabbi Nancy Kasten is Chief Relationship Officer for Faith Commons. A community educator, volunteer and activist, as well as a certified Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, Rabbi Kasten’s work is founded on her intention to create deeper and more meaningful relationships with and between people of all backgrounds and beliefs. She serves on the Social Justice Commission of the Union for Reform Judaism’s Religious Action Center and several boards, including the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies at the University of Texas, Dallas, Texas Impact (based in Austin,TX) and the Polyphony Foundation (based in Nazareth, Israel.)
Tom Leatherbury
Tom Leatherbury is Director of the First Amendment Clinic at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law. Focused on First Amendment issues including free speech, freedom of the press and freedom of assembly and petition, the clinic is funded by a grant from the Stanton Foundation, created by Dr. Frank Stanton, long-time former president of CBS from 1946 to 1971. The clinic uses best practices of clinical legal education to strengthen First Amendment values and to improve access to justice.
Leatherbury serves as practice group leader of Vinson &Elkins’s firm-wide appellate practice and has more than forty years of experience representing clients in state and federal appeals and trials. Throughout his career, Leatherbury has regularly represented traditional and digital publishers and broadcasters in all aspects of media litigation throughout his career, including libel, privacy and other torts, reporter’s privilege, newsgathering and access, misappropriation and breach of contract actions.
Among his many honors, Leatherbury was recently named a fellow in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, was presented with the Dallas Bar Foundation Justinian Award and was awarded a Presidential Citation from the State Bar of Texas for his commitment to helping its diversity and inclusion efforts.
His past leadership roles include serving as director and president of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, president of the Media Law Resource Center’s Defense Counsel Section, chair of the Dallas Bar Association’s Media Relations Committee and board member of Texas Appleseed.
Kate Schwartz
Kate is the Public Engagement Manager at Just Vision, an organization that fills a media gap on Israel-Palestine through independent storytelling and strategic audience engagement. In this role, Kate manages the development and implementation of Just Vision’s public engagement and digital media strategies across the organization, including film outreach, journalism and press, social media engagement and more, in the US, Israel-Palestine and internationally.
Faizan Syed
Faizan Syed is the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Dallas/Fort Worth (CAIR-TX DFW.) He moved to DFW in October 2019 after being the Missouri Director of CAIR for 8 years. While serving as Director of CAIR-MO Faizan responded to the Joplin Mosque Arson, Missouri’s anti-Sharia and anti-BDS legislation, and Michael Brown’s murder by police officer Darren Wilson. He has worked to bring justice to countless families suffering discrimination.
Faizan is not afraid of engaging with all people regardless of political belief and potential hostility. He was thrust into the media spotlight in 2016 when he passed out doughnuts at a Trump rally in St. Louis in order to engage in conversations and build bridges with Trump supporters. He is more than happy to dialogue with people who have different opinions because he fundamentally believes that the best way to build bridges is by fostering understanding between people who hold different opinions.
Moderator
George Mason
Rev. Dr. George Mason is a Christian theologian and the Founder and President of Faith Commons, an organization he founded in 2018 to lift up faith voices in the public square for the common good. He served as Senior Pastor of the Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas from 1989-2022. A nationally recognized leader among Baptists, especially with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Fellowship Southwest, Rev. Dr. Mason is the Lead Advisor for the Baptist House of Studies at Perkins School of Theology (SMU) and participates in numerous local and global ecumenical and interfaith endeavors.
Parking Details
Parking is available in the Daniel Parking Center located at the corner of Hillcrest and Daniel Avenue. From Hillcrest Avenue, go east on Daniel Avenue. The Daniel Parking Center is the first building on the left.
Parking is also available in the Airline Visitor Parking Garage located at 6506 Airline Road. At SMU Boulevard and Airline Road, turn north onto Airline and follow the road until it intersects with Airline Circle. Turn left to the garage entrance on Airline Circle.

Tickets & Details
You can purchase tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/screening-of-boycott-documentary-panel-discussion-tickets-438611016357

Public Lecture & Book Signing with Valarie Kaur
2022-09-08 19:30 - 21:00
Valarie Kaur will be coming to Dallas to teach us and inspire us toward revolutionary love.
Ms. Kaur is a renowned civil rights leader, lawyer, award-winning filmmaker, educator, innovator, and best-selling author of SEE NO STRANGER. She leads the Revolutionary Love Project to reclaim love as a force for justice.
Valarie burst into American consciousness in the wake of the 2016 election when her Watch Night Service address went viral with 40 million views worldwide. Her question “Is this the darkness of the tomb – or the darkness of the womb?” reframed the political moment and became a mantra for people fighting for change.
This lecture event is open to the public. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Sponsors receive complimentary tickets. The presenting sponsor is Faith Commons, and the following are partnering sponsors:
Brett and Mara Bim | Brenda Brand | Steve and Gail Brookshire | Communities Foundation of Texas | The DFW Sikh Community | Lauren Embry | Empire Bakery/Meaders and Robert Ozarow | Faith Forward Dallas | Fellowship Southwest | First United Methodist Church | Friendship West Baptist Church | Rev. Amy and Dr. David Moore | | Healthy Futures of Texas | National Council of Jewish Women Greater Dallas | North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church | Northway Christian Church | Sarah and Lee Papert | Pathways to Ministry | Paul Quinn College | People Newspapers | Retreat House Spirituality Center | SMU Baptist House of Studies | SMU Human Rights Program | SMU Maguire Center for Ethics | SMU Perkins School of Theology | Social Justice Task Force of Grace Presbytery | Temple Emanu-El | Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation | Thanksgiving Square Foundation | Wilshire Baptist Church
To become a sponsor, please email Rabbi Nancy Kasten at nancy@faithcommons.org.

See No Stranger Book Club
2022-05-18 12:00 - 13:00, 2022-04-20 12:00 - 13:00, 2022-03-16 12:00 - 13:00
Faith Commons has been facilitating intentional work with Valarie Kaur and her Revolutionary Love Project. We are looking forward to scheduling in-person events with Ms. Kaur in fall of 2022. Until then, we have held weekly workshops examining the revolutionary love compass. We have viewed her 2008 documentary film “Divided We Fall” with a brief introductory conversation with Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker.
And now, we invite you to read her book, See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love. We will read along together, and discuss a third of the book in three virtual book club meetings this spring.
Each meeting with occur on the following Wednesdays at noon:
March 16 – Introduction and Part I
April 20 – Part II
May 18 – Part III and Epilogue
Register below, and the Zoom link will be emailed to you the day of the meetings.

CitySquare Presents an Author Talk with Kristin Du Mez
2022-04-03 15:00 - 17:00
We are proud to sponsor and excited to invite you to CitySquare Presents an Author Talk with Kristin Du Mez at Wilshire Baptist Church on Sunday, April 3rd, at 3:00 PM. Kristin Du Mez will talk about her New York Times best-selling book, Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. The event is free, but please RSVP here as seats are limited. We look forward to seeing you there.

Rachel Mikva
2022-03-03 11:30 - 13:00
SAVE THE DATE!
Join us for Lunch and Text Study
With Rabbi Dr. Rachel Mikva
Rabbi Herman E. Schaalman Chair and Professor of Jewish Studies
Senior Faculty Fellow of the InterReligious Institute
Chicago Theological Seminary
Author of “Dangerous Religious Ideas: The Deep Roots of Self-Critical Faith in Judaism, Christianity and Islam”
Thursday March 3
11:30-1 p.m.
Northway Christian Church
7202 Northwest Highway
Dallas, TX 75225
We will discuss the ways in which particular religious texts are used to connect or disconnect, heal or harm, and how we can get better at using them mindfully.
We are also cosponsoring a public lecture at Temple Emanu-El on Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m.

Revolutionary Love Project Workshops
2022-02-09 12:00 - 12:30
In preparation for Valarie Kaur’s Dallas visit, Faith Commons will be holding weekly webinars for those who are ready to start learning the practices of Revolutionary Love. Shifting culture is scary, and uncomfortable. We need tools to practice this. By becoming familiar with these practices before Ms. Kaur’s visit, we will be better prepared to make the most of her time with us and continue our labor after she leaves.
Each Wednesday we will meet via Zoom for 30 minutes, following the schedule below, which you can learn more about on Ms. Kaur’s website. Sign up at the registration below in order to receive the Zoom link via email.
December 1 Introduction
December 8 Wonder
December 15 Grieve
December 22 Fight
December 29 Rage
January 5 Listen
January 12 Reimagine
January 19 Breathe
January 26 Valarie Kaur on Think | KERA
February 2 Push
February 9 Transition

Screening of "Divided We Fall"
2022-02-06 17:00 - 19:00
Valarie Kaur’s in-person to visit to Dallas has been postponed. In the meantime, we have begun the intentional work of practicing Revolutionary Love with a community of 28 partner organizations to prepare for her visit. To continue our momentum, we want to invite you to a special screening of Valarie’s film from 2008, documenting hate crimes in the aftermath of 9/11.
We think this work is especially relevant and important to understand following the hate crime targeting the Jewish congregation in Colleyville during Sabbath morning worship on January 15.
Faith Commons will lead an introductory conversation with Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and then we will view the film together over Zoom. You are invited to participate from the comfort and safety of your home.
Please join us Sunday afternoon, February 6, at 5:00 p.m. until about 7:00 p.m. Register and the Zoom link will be emailed to you the day of the event.

Revolutionary Love Project Workshops
2022-02-02 12:00 - 12:30, 2022-01-26 12:00 - 12:30, 2022-01-19 12:00 - 12:30, 2022-01-12 12:00 - 12:30, 2022-01-05 12:00 - 12:30, 2021-12-29 12:00 - 12:30, 2021-12-22 12:00 - 12:30, 2021-12-15 12:00 - 12:30
In preparation for Valarie Kaur’s Dallas visit, Faith Commons will be holding weekly webinars for those who are ready to start learning the practices of Revolutionary Love. Shifting culture is scary, and uncomfortable. We need tools to practice this. By becoming familiar with these practices before Ms. Kaur’s visit, we will be better prepared to make the most of her time with us and continue our labor after she leaves.
Each Wednesday we will meet via Zoom for 30 minutes, following the schedule below, which you can learn more about on Ms. Kaur’s website. Sign up at the registration below in order to receive the Zoom link via email.
December 1 Introduction
December 8 Wonder
December 15 Grieve
December 22 Fight
December 29 Rage
January 5 Listen
January 12 Reimagine
January 19 Breathe
January 26 Push
February 2 Transition (Led by Valarie Kaur)
