Lynn Casteel Harper is an essayist, Baptist minister and chaplain. Her debut book, On Vanishing: Mortality, Dementia, and What It Means to Disappear, investigates the myths and metaphors surrounding dementia and aging.

Ellen L. Idler is director of Emory University’s Religion and Public Health Collaborative and is the Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Sociology at Emory. Idler researches population aging, religion and public health, and end-of-life decision-making.

Jeff Levin is professor of epidemiology, population health and medical humanities as well as director of the Program on Religion and Population Health at Baylor University. His work helped pioneer the study of religion and health.

Travis Scholl is director of mission integration at Lutheran Senior Services, operating senior living communities in St. Louis. He is also the author of Walking the Labyrinth.

Palwasha L. Kakar is the interim director for religion and inclusive societies at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Kakar joined USIP after four years with the Asia Foundation, where she was the Afghanistan director for women’s empowerment and development. Before that, Kakar led the Gender Mainstreaming and Civil Society Unit in the United Nations Development […]

The Office of International Religious Freedom promotes universal respect for freedom of religion or belief for all as a core objective of U.S. foreign policy. It monitors religiously motivated abuses, harassment and discrimination worldwide, recommending, developing and implementing policies and programs to address these concerns. Contact Isaac Six, senior official in the office, or Mariah […]

Aparna Gopalan is a News Editor at Jewish Currents. She has published stories on the connections between Zionism and Hindu nationalism.

Hind Kabawat is director of interfaith peacebuilding at George Mason University’s Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution. Kabawat has directed the center’s Syria work since 2004 and has trained hundreds of Syrians in multifaith collaboration and civil society development.

Philip Seib is professor emeritus of journalism and public diplomacy at the University of Southern California and principal investigator of the Faith Diplomacy Initiative.