“The value of religious pluralism is the thing that makes me most proud to be an American,” guest Guthrie Graves Fitzsimmons explains in our second episode as he responds to a segment from the Festival of Faiths that features Rev. Dr. Martin Marty from 2005.

As we near the 250th anniversary of our country breaking away from state religion, we look at what it means to celebrate religious freedom as a national community. How can we embrace the full integrity of our faith without seeing the “other” as a threat? How do we honor the particularities of other practices of faith rather than just focusing on our common ground?

We explore this and much more in this essential dialogue for the time in which we live!

Listen to the full session with Dr. Martin Marty from the 2005 Festival of Faiths that is referenced in this episode here.

The Reverend Dr. Martin E. Marty (1928-2025) was a renowned theologian, religious historian, and public intellectual known as a leading interpreter of American religion. An ordained Lutheran pastor, he was also a prolific author, a professor at the University of Chicago, and an influential civil rights activist and public theologian who examined religion's role in modern society. He is recognized for his extensive body of work, including the influential book Righteous Empire and his work on fundamentalism.

Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons serves as the vice president of programs and strategy at Interfaith Alliance, where he directs the organization's integrated advocacy campaigns and movement building. He is also an MSNBC columnist and the author of Just Faith: Reclaiming Progressive Christianity. Guthrie is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Prophetic Leadership degree from Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado and lives with his husband in Washington, D.C.

The Center for Interfaith Relations celebrates the diversity of faith traditions, expresses gratitude for our unity, and strengthens the role of faith in society through common action. They host the nationally renowned Festival of Faiths and offer year-round programming that fosters compassion in our world. They are also committed to sharing the insights and inspiration rooted in the wisdom of faith traditions, and strive to cultivate communities that are true to the motto of “Many Faiths, One Heart, Common Action.”

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