Center for Religion and Public Affairs

The Center for Religion and Public Affairs promotes research, study and dialogue regarding the intersection of religion and public affairs and provides resources for policymakers, divinity school students and religious leaders on these issues. Melissa Rogers serves as the Center's director.

On January 12, 2010, the Center released a statement titled Religious Expression in American Life: A Joint Statement of Current Law. A diverse working group of church-state experts drafted the statement, and the Center served as the convener and facilitator of the work. Read more about the statement here.

Other special projects of the Center include the report, Serving People in Need, Safeguarding Religious Freedom: Recommendations for the New Administration on Partnerships with Faith-Based Organizations.  Brookings Senior Fellow E.J. Dionne Jr. and Center Director Melissa Rogers released this report in December 2008. A list of resources for this report is here.

In 2006, the Center launched its Congregational Education Project, a resource providing a series of questions and answers on the electioneering prohibition that applies to houses of worship and other tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations.

This website also provides a brief introduction to some of the issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs.

In addition w e've compiled a list of some of the academic centers, think tanks, advocacy organizations, and Web logs commenting on religion and public affairs.

We welcome your questions, comments and suggestions regarding this website and the other work of the Center. Please contact the Center.

© Center for Religion and Public Affairs 2010