Church attendance and membership is falling…fast. More and more people are claiming to be “spiritual” but not “religious.” Religion and the state have never been more at odds.

The most pressing question remains: What is the future of faith?

In spring of 2012, Auburn Media partnered with Brick Presbyterian Church, First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York and Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church for a film and speaker series featuring author and filmmaker Irshad Manji; media contributor and technology expert Ari Wallach; and Sundance Film Festival-nominated filmmaker and Auburn Media Senior Director Macky Alston. Each session featured a film excerpt, lecture and discussion, and was free and open to the public.

Auburn Media was particularly excited to host the Sundance Film Festival-award winning film, “Love Free or Die" with Filmmaker Macky Alston and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson at First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York.

“Love Free or Die” is about a man whose two defining passions are in direct conflict: his love for God and his partner Mark. The film follows Bishop Gene Robinson’s personal story as American churches debate whether or not lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are equal to heterosexuals in the eyes of God.

Click play to watch the official trailer and learn more about the campaign for LGBT equality.
  

• Film and Conversation: Irshad Manji
(Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church) 
Author, filmmaker and speaker Irshad Manji speaks about her Muslim faith and efforts throughout the world to promote Muslim reform and moral courage. Irshad will share a selected clip from her PBS film Faith Without Fear and will discuss her new book Allah, Liberty and Love.

• Conversation: Ari Wallach
(Brick Presbyterian Church)
Innovation and technology visionary Ari Wallach is a strategist at the intersection of business, politics, purpose and technology. He will discuss the demographic trend of Americans identifying as spiritual rather than religious, and the role technology may come to play in 21st century religion. Wallach was co-founder of The Great Schlep with Sarah Silverman, which organized young adults of Jewish faith to move their grandparents to support President Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential campaign. His clients include CNN, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the U.S. State Department and the Tides Network.



For more information on the Future of Faith series contact Rev. Kellie Anderson-Picallo at Auburn Media.