Invited Speakers
Curtis Chang is a consulting professor in innovation and organization at Duke Divinity School, holds a faculty appointment at American University’s School of International Service, and is a Senior Fellow at Fuller Theological Seminary. He graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in Government. He is the author of Engaging Unbelief: A Captivating Strategy from Augustine and Aquinas (IVP). Curtis is the founder and head of Consulting Within Reach, a firm serving nonprofits and government, as well as the founding Executive Director of Redeeming Babel, a nonprofit that produces content to promote a reformation in how Christians engage the wider world. He also hosts the Good Faith podcast where he discusses how Christian faith intersects with culture, law, and politics.
Tim Clydesdale is vice provost and professor of Sociology at The College of New Jersey. A first-generation college graduate, he earned his BA at Wheaton College (IL), and his PhD at Princeton University. An expert on young adulthood, higher education, and American religion, Clydesdale is a popular speaker at colleges, universities, and scholarly gatherings around the globe. He is the author of the following books: The First Year Out: Understanding American Teens after High School (University of Chicago Press, 2007); The Purposeful Graduate: Why Colleges Must Talk to Students about Vocation (University of Chicago Press, 2015), and (with co-author Kathleen Garces-Foley of Marymount University) The Twentysomething Soul: Understanding the Religious and Secular Lives of American Young Adults (Oxford University Press, 2019).
Jonathan Collins is a cofounder, writer, and creative director for The Bible Project. He is cohost of The Bible Project podcast, which consistently ranks in the top ten of spirituality and religion. He has a bachelor of arts in biblical studies from Multnomah University. Jon is affectionately known by his colleagues as the Architect of Ideas. He is a master of making complex ideas simple and has spent the last decade founding and leading digital media and marketing companies. The Bible Project has reached millions of viewers worldwide through hundreds of videos, podcast episodes, and materials translated into over 50 languages. Their mission is to inspire people everywhere to become lifelong learners of Scripture.
Korie Little Edwards is a University Distinguished Scholar and Professor of Sociology at The Ohio State University and leading scholar of race and religion in the United States, with a particular focus on multiracial churches and the black church. She is the author or co-author of numerous books and articles, including The Elusive Dream: The Power of Race in Interracial Churches, the awarding-winning Smart Suits, Tattered Boots: Black Ministers Mobilizing the Black Church in the Twenty-First Century, and Estranged Pioneers: Race, Faith and Leadership in a Diverse World. Little Edwards is also a highly sought-after national and international speaker and co-host of The Elusive Dream Podcast.
Shirley Hoogstra is the President of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). She received her B.A. from Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI, and her J.D. with honors from the University of Connecticut School of Law. She served for a decade of practicing law as a litigator, served as the President of the New Haven County Bar Association, and was a founding board member and officer of the Bridgeport Rescue Mission. She returned to the world of Christian education as the Vice President for Student Life at Calvin University in 1999, where she served until becoming President of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities in 2014. Hoogstra serves on the steering committee for the Washington Higher Ed Secretariat, is a leader for the Evangelical Immigration Table, and serves on the boards of the American Council on Education, the National Association of Evangelicals, and Trinity Forum. She received honorary doctorate degrees from Gordon College and Nyack College and was the recipient of the Nina Griggs Gunter Servant Leadership Award, the Lifetime Education Impact Award (National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference), and the Keepers of the American Dream Award (National Immigration Forum).
Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. is the University of Notre Dame’s 17th president. He earned undergraduate and advanced degrees from the University of Notre Dame, a Ph.D. of philosophy from Oxford University, and an M.Div. and S.T.L. from the Jesuit School of Theology. Rev. Jenkins has taught courses on ancient and medieval philosophy, faith and reason, and Thomas Aquinas. In his teaching, he advocates for civil discourse to unite differing opinions instead of vilifying them. He is the author of Knowledge and Faith in Thomas Aquinas and scholarly articles published in The Journal of Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy and Theology, and the Journal of Religious Ethics. Under Father Jenkins, Notre Dame was invited to join the Association of American Universities in 2023, an association of the nation’s leading public and private research universities, making it the only religiously-affiliated university in the nation to receive this honor. In 2022, the University received over $281 million in external research funding, making it one of the fastest-growing research universities in the U.S.
Linda A. Livingstone is the 15th president of Baylor University, having served in this position since 2017. She earned a B.S. in economics and management, an MBA, and a Ph.D. in management and organizational behavior from Oklahoma State University. She previously served as dean and professor of management at The George Washington University School of Business, as dean and professor of management at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management, and as a tenured faculty member and associate dean of graduate programs at Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business. Dr. Livingstone led the creation of Baylor University's strategic plan, Illuminate, to make it a top Christian research university. She also directed Give Light, a $1.1 billion campaign to support Illuminate. She is a member of the Spears School of Business Hall of Fame, was the first recipient of the Outstanding Ph.D. Alumnus Award, and was recognized in 2015 with the OSU Distinguished Alumni Award.
Jemar Tisby is a professor, historian, and author. He has written numerous books, including his New York Times bestselling book, The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the Church's Complicity in Racism, and How to Fight Racism. His latest book is The Spirit of Justice. Jemar has been a co-host of the Pass the Mic podcast since its inception seven years ago. His writing has been featured in the Washington Post, The Atlantic, and the New York Times among others. He is a frequent commentator on outlets such as NPR and CNN's New Day program. He speaks nationwide on the topics of racial justice, U.S. history, and Christianity. Jemar earned his Ph.D. in history, studying race, religion, and social movements in the 20th century. You can follow his work through his newsletter, Footnotes, and on social media at @JemarTisby.
Tish Harrison Warren is a priest in the Anglican Church in North America. She is the author of Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life (Christianity Today's 2018 Book of the Year) and Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work, or Watch, or Weep (Christianity Today's 2022 Book of the Year and the 2022 ECPA Christian Book of the Year). For over a decade, Tish has worked in ministry settings as a campus minister with InterVarsity Graduate and Faculty Ministries, as an associate rector, and with addicts and those in poverty through various churches and non-profit organizations. She is a founding member of The Pelican Project and a Senior Fellow with the Trinity Forum. She lives with her husband and three children in Austin, Texas.