Berkley Center

Russell D. Moore is president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Prior to his election to this role in 2013, Moore served as provost and dean of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he also taught as professor of theology and ethics. Dr. Moore is the author of five books, including Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ (2011) and The Kingdom of Christ: The New Evangelical Perspective (2004). Additionally, Dr. Moore frequently blogs at his Moore to the Point website and is a widely-sought cultural commentator on issues of theology, culture, and public policy. Dr. Moore holds a M.Div. in biblical studies from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in systematic theology from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Kirsten A. Powers is an American political pundit and columnist. She began her career as a Democratic Party operative with the Clinton-Gore presidential transition team in 1992 followed by an appointment as Deputy Assistant US Trade Representative for Public Affairs in the Clinton administration from 1993 to 1998. She subsequently worked in various roles including press secretary, communications consultant, and Democratic Party consultant. She currently serves as a contributor to USA Today and a political analyst for the Fox News cable TV channel. Her new book The Silencing: How the Left is Killing Free Speech (2015) critiques modern illiberal attacks on free speech. Her articles have appeared in USA Today, Elle, New York Observer, Salon, Wall Street Journal, and Christianity Today. Powers moderated a panel on “The Terrible Facts: What is Happening to the World’s Christians?” at the “Christianity and Freedom” conference in December 2013.

Phil Zuckerman is a professor of sociology at Pitzer College in Claremont, CA, and the founder of the nation's first Secular Studies university department. His research interests focus on secularism, atheism, apostasy, and Scandinavian culture from a sociological perspective. He is the author of Living the Secular Life: New Answers to Old Questions (2014), Faith No More: Why People Reject Religion (2011), Atheism and Secularity (2010), and Society Without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us About Contentment (2008). His opinion pieces have appeared in Washington Post, Guardian, and Huffington Post, and his research has also been published in a number of journals. Zuckerman received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Oregon.