Registration

Kosher breakfast available upon arrival, coffee and tea served throughout the day.

Faith of Our Fathers

Rediscovering America through a Biblical lens as we review the Judaic participation in the American revolution and the country’s founding documents. How did the Hebrew Bible inform the American intellectual debate? How do we preserve the truths on which America was founded and restore Jewish and Christian influences in our laws and practices?

Rabbi Dr. Meir Y. Soloveichik is one of the world’s preeminent Jewish thinkers and educators and one of America’s most influential religious leaders. He is the host of numerous online courses and the “Bible 365” and “Jerusalem 365” podcasts at Tikvah, a non-profit ideas institution committed to supporting the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish state. He is the senior Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel in Manhattan, the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States. And he is the director of the Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University.

Awakening in America

Throughout its history, the United States has experienced several faith revivals including “The Great Awakening” in the 18th Century. What led to these moments in church history and what was their impact? Some scholars are predicting a new awakening, while others forecast a dark time ahead for Americans of faith. Can a new understanding between Christians and Jews usher in a revival now?

Gerald McDermott is the author, co-author, or editor of two dozen books and hundreds of articles and book chapters on Jonathan Edwards, Christian theology of world religions, and the meaning of Israel. His co-authored Theology of Jonathan Edwards (Oxford University Press) was named by Christianity Today the top book for 2013 in theology and ethics. McDermott held endowed chairs at Roanoke College and Beeson Divinity School, and now teaches at Reformed Episcopal Seminary and Jerusalem Seminary.  He and his wife Jean live in Charlottesville, VA, with their three sons and daughters-in-law, and twelve grandchildren.

Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm is the Chief Executive of Bnai Zion, producing media and entertainment to strengthen Israel and the Jewish people. He is the host of the top-ranked weekly podcast on the Bible and society, “Good Faith Effort.” And his popular, viral Twitter threads on “Why Read the Bible in Hebrew?” have been covered by major international news outlets. For his leadership in the world of Jewish ideas, The Jerusalem Post recently ranked him #38 on its list of the world’s 50 Most Influential Jews.  Rabbi Lamm earned his rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, and his PhD in Religion from Princeton University. He received his Master’s in Judaism and Eastern Christianity from University College London via a Fulbright Scholarship. His writings have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Tablet Magazine, SAPIR Journal and The Jerusalem Post.

An Upside-Down World

Without Adam and Eve, identity must be created from scratch. The rise of identity politics and the fallout of the sexual revolution has led to the collapse of the family and search for connection elsewhere. The world now looks like science fiction with a culture that no longer reflects truth, beauty and scientific reality.  How has the decline of the family affected faith? How has the failure of church leaders to correct these cultural breakdowns led to a more divided and disordered society?

Mary Eberstadt holds the Panula Chair in Christian Culture at the Catholic Information Center in Washington DC and is Senior Research Fellow at the Faith & Reason Institute. She is an American writer whose contributions to the intellectual landscape traverse genres. An essayist, novelist, and frequent public speaker, she is author of several books of non-fiction, including How the West Really Lost God: A New Theory of Secularization; Adam and Eve after the Pill: Paradoxes of the Sexual Revolution; and Primal Screams: How the Sexual Revolution Created Identity Politics. Her social commentary draws from fields including anthropology, intellectual history, philosophy, popular culture, sociology, and theology. Central to her diverse interests are questions concerning the philosophy and culture of Western civilization and the fate and aspirations of post-modern man.

Francis X. Maier is a senior fellow in Catholic Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. His work focuses on the intersection of Christian faith, culture, and public life, with special attention to lay formation and action. Mr. Maier served as senior adviser and special assistant to Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., for 23 years in Denver and Philadelphia. He previously served as editor in chief of the National Catholic Register, and as a story analyst and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and New York University’s School of the Arts, he is a former fellow of the American Film Institute’s Conservatory for Advanced Film Studies. He is a cofounding board member of the University of Pennsylvania’s Collegium Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture, and a board member of the Napa Institute.

Break

Social Disorder and Family Failing

What are the repercussions of family breakdown – divorce and fatherless families while children are under attack by a secularized culture that exposes them to sexualization and violence. What has happened to our understanding of men as protectors? How has the collapse of marriage and the resulting decline in resident fatherhood contributed to the decline in Christianity and religion in the U.S.?

Mary Hasson is the Kate O’Beirne Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington D.C. Mrs. Hasson directs the Catholic Women’s Forum and is co-founder of the Person and Identity Project that helps equip parents to promote truth of the human person. An attorney and policy expert, Mary served as keynote speaker for the Holy See during the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, addressing education (2018), women and work (2017), caregiving (2019), and gender ideology (2019). She serves as a consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family, Life and Youth.

Pat Fagan is Founder and director of the Marriage and Religion Research Institute at The Catholic University of America, Dr. Fagan has authored over thirty synthesis papers and has commissioned dozens of original research projects in marriage, family, child development and religious practice. A native of Ireland, Dr. Fagan received his Bachelor of Social Science in sociology and social administration and a professional graduate degree in psychology as well as a Ph.D. from University College Dublin. He has been a elementary school teacher and a clinical therapist specializing in child, family and marital therapy

Delano Squires is a Research Fellow in the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Life, Religion, and Family at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C.. He is also a contributor to BlazeTV’s Fearless with Jason Whitlock podcast. Delano’s articles and essays on faith, family, and culture have been published by Newsweek, The American Conservative, The Federalist, The Institute for Family Studies, Black and Married with Kids, The Root, and The Grio. Delano earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a graduate degree in Public Policy from The George Washington University. He lives in Maryland with his wife and four young children.

Lunch

“We are all Jews Now”

The religious values and worldviews that were, once, common are now anathema as Americans of faith find themselves under attack. People are “canceled” if they express devotion to time-honored values or fail to laud the practices that deny those values. Should Christians take the path of Jews who have faced persecution throughout the centuries and separate from this antagonistic culture bent on destroying them?

Liel Leibovitz is the Editor-at-Large of Tablet Magazine and a co-host of its podcast, Unorthodox. Leibowitz has taught in several universities and colleges, including Barnard and NYU, and is the author and co-author of several books, including The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia: From Abraham to Zabar’s and Everything in Between. He writes frequently on politics, culture, and religion, and his work has been published in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Atlantic, and other notable publications. Leibovitz has also previously served as the Senior Press Officer at Israel’s Consulate General in New York.

Bonds Between Christians and Jews

The Biblical foundations on which Christians and Jews carryout their responsibilities in society to live faithful to their calling is a unique bond that can never be destroyed. Early Jewish civil laws, religious and political practices carried over to the U.S. and still guide the halls of power. What are the modern-day affinities between Israel and America that are essential to our understanding and how we can work together to bring a flourishing faith back to the nation?

Francis X. Maier (See above)

Liel Leibovitz (See above)

Rabbi Dr. Meir Y. Soloveichik (See above)

Award winners of ROF Summit 2022 Challenge

Restoring the Family, Restoring Faith

Rebuilding marriage and the family as an essential unit in society instituted by God will require navigating the culture intent on destroying it. How do we lead in our churches, schools and communities? What should the messages be and how can faith leaders effectively communicate to their constituents the importance of following God’s plan for life?

Mary Hasson (See above)

Pat Fagan (See above)

Tyson Langhofer serves as senior counsel and director of the Center for Academic Freedom with Alliance Defending Freedom. Langhofer represents students and faculty at public high schools and colleges in defending their First Amendment rights. For example, in Denton v. Hecht, he successfully defended a Florida State University student after he was removed as student senate president simply for sharing his Catholic views in a private group chat. In Cross v. Loudoun County Public Schools, he successfully defended an elementary school gym teacher after the school suspended him for peacefully sharing his views on a proposed policy at a public-school board meeting. Langhofer has extensive experience in civil litigation and constitutional law. Before joining ADF, Langhofer was a partner with Stinson LLP, where he worked as a commercial litigation attorney from 2000 until he joined ADF in 2015. Langhofer earned his Juris Doctor from Regent University School of Law in 1999, graduating cum laude. Langhofer is admitted to practice in multiple states, the U.S. Supreme Court, and numerous federal district and appellate courts.

Delano Squires (See above)

Break

Promise of Our Youth

Many cultural and faith leaders predict the difficulties of passing on the faith to the next generation.  The promise of our youth becoming more religious, with a hunger for truth is a positive development. How can we continue to motivate and activate young people to study and follow the truths of God’s word including the moral practices that lead to contentment, fulfillment, and freedom?

Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm (See above)

Carrie Sheffield is a columnist and commentator in Washington, D.C, providing political and policy analysis for television networks and online news outlets. A senior policy analyst at Independent Women’s Forum, Carrie earned a master’s in public policy from Harvard University (business policy concentration), a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Brigham Young University and completed a Fulbright fellowship in Berlin. As an associate at Moody’s Investors Service in Manhattan, Carrie publicly rated a portfolio of more than $5 billion and served as a credit analyst at Goldman Sachs. Carrie researched for American Enterprise Institute scholar Edward Conard and served as Warren Brookes Journalism Fellow at Competitive Enterprise Institute. She was a credentialed White House correspondent for JustTheNews.com, covering economic policy, the 2020 COVID crisis response, and presidential elections.

Taking it to the Streets

Where do we go from here?  Taking our message of faith, hope and charity to the streets takes courage as well as strategic and intentional actions. As communities of faith, as individuals and as pastors and clergy, what can we do to battle back against the deceptive cultural trends – take legal action, communicate through the media, use persuasion with truthful arguments and reinforce messages from the pulpit that will lead people back to their faith in God.

Mary Eberstadt (See above)

Tyson Langhofer (See above)

Carrie Sheffield is a columnist and commentator in Washington, D.C, providing political and policy analysis for television networks and online news outlets. A senior policy analyst at Independent Women’s Forum, Carrie earned a master’s in public policy from Harvard University (business policy concentration), a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Brigham Young University and completed a Fulbright fellowship in Berlin. As an associate at Moody’s Investors Service in Manhattan, Carrie publicly rated a portfolio of more than $5 billion and served as a credit analyst at Goldman Sachs. Carrie researched for American Enterprise Institute scholar Edward Conard and served as Warren Brookes Journalism Fellow at Competitive Enterprise Institute. She was a credentialed White House correspondent for JustTheNews.com, covering economic policy, the 2020 COVID crisis response, and presidential elections.

Closing Remarks