Moral Courage and Impatient Love

Prof. Irshad Manji is founder of the award-winning Moral Courage Project. Based at New York University, this multi-media project teaches people to take thoughtful risks for life-changing rewards. Manji’s newest venture is Moral Courage TV, a YouTube channel that tells the stories of individuals around the world who are standing up when others want them to sit down. As a Muslim reformer, Manji puts moral courage into practice. Her latest book, Allah, Liberty & Love, is a how-to guide on reconciling faith and freedom on a planet raging with dogmas. Her previous book is the global bestseller, The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim’s Call for Reform in Her Faith. Manji spearheaded the Emmy-nominated PBS documentary, Faith Without Fear. Ultimately, Manji’s mission is help people grow into wholeness, especially those who are stifled by cultural, religious, or societal norms. She aligns with questioning individuals, giving them a platform to share their stories so that they can inspire others.

Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis is Senior Minister at Middle Collegiate Church in New York City and Executive Director of The Middle Project. Lewis earned her M.Div.at Princeton Theological Seminary and her Ph.D. in Psychology and Religion at Drew University. Ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Lewis is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and preacher on the topics of racial, economic, and gender/LGBTI justice. Lewis has been adjunct faculty at Princeton Theological Seminary, Union Theological Seminary, The Graduate Theological Union, New Brunswick Theological Seminary, and Wesley Theological Seminary. She has been interviewed on NPR’s Weekend Edition, WABC, WNBC, CNN, GritTV, Ebony.com, and Essence magazine, and The New York Times online. Author of The Power of Stories: A Guide for Leaders in Multi-Racial and Multi-Cultural Congregations and a children’s book that celebrates diversity, You Are So Wonderful!, Lewis has published numerous articles and sermons, and blogs for The Huffington Post. She is married to her best friend, John Janka, with whom she works for racial reconciliation every day.