Begun in 2015, and co-led by Penn professor of Practice Marci Hamilton and Religious Freedom Institute Founding Director Dr. Stanley Carlson-Thies, PRRUCS Common Ground for Common Good initiative—called “C2G2” for short—has brought together several dozen civic-minded, public-spirited thought leaders and policy leaders on each side of today’s most contentious church-state debates.

On topics ranging from the latest federal court decisions regarding same-sex marriage to the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia, from the latest evidence regarding the nexus between religion and politics to the decline in traditional religious affiliations, C2G2 has brought these leaders together, not so that they can come to agree or sign consensus “charters” or “statements of principle” or the like, but so that they can model how to disagree in the spirit of mutual respect that is essential to a demographically, ideologically, and religiously diverse democracy.

In 2020, C2G2 members included: Rev. Samuel Atchison, Stanley Carlson-Thies, Daniel Cheely, Rev. Luis Cortes, John DiIulio, EJ Dionne, Jane Eisner, Timothy Goeglein, Rev. W. Wilson Goode, Marci Hamilton, Rev. Charles Howard, Lia Howard, Ferdous Jahan, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Michele Margolis, Ethan Nadelmann, Sr. Mary Scullion, Ronald Sider, Tevi Troy, Richard Valelly, Michael Wear, and Melissa Wilde.

Freedom of religion and conscience: Restoring civility, protecting pluralism – Part 1:
On September 13, 2017, Brookings hosted a discussion with the American Charter Project on the vital role that religious pluralism and freedom of religion and conscience play in fostering civility and unity in our democratic republic.  The keynote speaker was John DiIulio.  To watch Part 2 of this event recording, please click here.

Obergefell and Religion: A Common Ground for Common Good Conversation