Panel discussion to examine Presidential race

This year’s Presidential race has turned out to be a roller-coaster ride of “firsts” and surprises. <br /> <br /> So what does it all mean? Where will we be headed after Nov. 4? And how will religion factor into the election?<br /> <br /> The Arizona State University Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict will sponsor a free panel discussion on the topic of “Run for the White House: Religion, Race, Gender, and the Media,” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 (Thursday) at the Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe.<br /> <br /> “Religion is a dynamic force in American politics,” said Linell Cady, director of the Center and the panel’s moderator. “This election has revealed so many different aspects of the role religion plays in our public life, at the level of symbolism as well as personal identity. This panel gives us an opportunity to explore all of that, and to ask what has changed, and perhaps what hasn’t.”<br /> <br /> Panelists will be scholar-writers Diane Winston and Eddie Glaude.<br /> <br /> Winston holds the Knight Chair in Media and Religion at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California. A national authority, her expertise encompasses religion, politics and the news media, religion and the entertainment media, and the place of religion in American identity.<br /> <br /> A journalist and a scholar, Winston’s writing addresses a wide variety of topics, from evangelicalism and gender to media coverage of Islam.<br /> <br /> Winston, who was a Pulitzer Prize nominee, has written a number of books including “Red Hot and Righteous: The Urban Religion of the Salvation Army,” “Faith in the Market: Religion and Urban Commercial Culture” and the forthcoming “Small Screen, Big Picture: Lived Religion and Television.”<br /> <br /> Glaude is the William S. Tod Professor of Religion and African American Studies at Princeton University. Nationally recognized for his work on African American religion and its place in American public life, he has appeared on such shows as PBS’s Tavis Smiley Show and Fox’s Hannity and Colmes.<br /> <br /> He is the author of “Exodus! Religion, Race, and Nation in Early 19th Century Black America” and editor of “Is it Nation Time? Contemporary Essays on Black Power and Black Nationalism.” His newest book is “In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America.” Glaude also co- edited a volume entitled “African-American Religious Thought: An Anthology.”<br /> <br /> Cady, who has written extensively on issues of religion and theology in American public life, is also co-editor of “Religion Dispatches,” an online magazine devoted to advancing public scholarship and reflection on religion and public affairs.<br /> <br /> “We tend to focus on issues of religion in international affairs,” commented Cady. “This panel is an opportunity to understand more about the conflicts and controversies over the role of religion in our national life, and their implications for presidential politics.”<br /> <br /> The program is free, but reservations are suggested due to limited seating. To R.S.V.P., go to csrc.asu.edu or call (480) 727-6736.<br /> <br /> For more information, contact Carolyn Forbes, (480) 965-1096, or <a href="mailto:carolyn.forbes@asu.edu">carolyn.forbes@asu.edu</a>.<br />  <br /></p>