Dr . Mark Chaves Dr . Mark Chaves is Anne Firor Scott Distinguished Professor of Sociology , and Professor of Religious Studies and Divinity , at Duke University . He directs the National Congregations Study ( NCS ), a wide-ranging survey of a nationally representative sample of religious congregations , and the National Survey of Religious Leaders ( NSRL ), a similarly wide-ranging and nationally representative survey of clergy . Professor Chaves is the author of American Religion : Contemporary Trends , Congregations in America , Ordaining Women : Culture and Conflict in Religious Organizations , and many articles , mainly on the social organization of religion in the United States .
The Rev . Dr . Christopher Coble The Rev . Christopher Coble is the Vice President for Religion at Lilly Endowment Inc . He was elected to that position in December 2012 , having served the Endowment as a program officer in its religion division for sixteen years . He is ordained in the Christian Church ( Disciples of Christ ) and has served congregations in Indiana , North Carolina , Iowa , and Massachusetts . Trained as a historian of American religion , his research interests focus on issues of religious formation and the transmission of faith in Christian churches . He holds degrees from Wabash College ( AB ), Duke Divinity School ( MDiv ), and Harvard University ( ThD ).
The Rev . Luis Cortés Jr . The Rev . Luis Cortés Jr . is the Founder and CEO of Esperanza , a leading Hispanic faith-based Evangelical network in the United States . Driven by the biblical mandate to serve and advocate for “ the least of these ,” Esperanza strengthens Hispanic communities and all those who live within them . Rev . Cortés founded Esperanza in 1986 , with support from the Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia . Under his leadership , Esperanza has grown to more than 600 employees and $ 70M in operations across a family of institutions and programs , all focused on building an “ opportunity community ” in Hunting Park by providing avenues for education , jobs , and affordable housing . Rev . Cortés has been listed as one of Time magazine ’ s 25 Most Influential Evangelicals and was a 2019 recipient of the Philadelphia Award .
E . J . Dionne Jr . E . J . Dionne Jr . is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution , cochair of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life , a syndicated columnist for the Washington Post , and university professor in the Foundations of Democracy and Culture at Georgetown University . Dionne began his career with the New York Times , where he spent fourteen years reporting on state and local government , national politics , and from around the world , including stints in Paris , Rome , and Beirut . He has written or edited 15 books , including Souled Out : Reclaiming Faith & Politics After the Religious Right ; One Electorate Under God ?: A Dialogue on Religion & American Politics ; Sacred Places , Civic Purposes : Should Government Help Faith-Based Charity ; and What ’ s God Got To Do With the American Experiment . His best-selling book , Why Americans Hate Politics , won the Los Angeles Times book prize and was a National Book Award nominee .
Bob Jaeger Bob Jaeger co-founded Partners for Sacred Places in 1989 . Previously , Bob worked with the Philadelphia Historic Preservation Corporation as Senior Vice President for the Historic Religious Properties Program . He is the co-author of Sacred Places at Risk ( 1998 ) and Strategies for Stewardship and Active Use of Older and Historic Religious Properties ( 1996 ), author of Sacred Places in Transition ( 1994 ), and editor ( from 1985 to 1989 ) of Inspired , a bi-monthly magazine with news and technical articles on religious property preservation . Bob holds a master ’ s degree in preservation planning from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Michigan .
20