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Nootbaar Institute Hosts Forum on Obama, Religious Faith, and the Public Square

The Herbert and Elinor Institute on Law, Religion, and Ethics hosted a forum titled "Obama, Religious Faith, and the Public Square: A Conversation with Doug Kmiec and John Jones," on Friday, January 23, at the School of Law.

The speakers were Doug Kmiec, the Caruso Family Chair in Constitutional Law, and John Jones, professor of communications at Pepperdine's Seaver College.

Professor Kmiec was an early supporter of Barack Obama and wrote the book Can a Catholic Support Him? Asking the Big Question about Barack Obama. Kmiec discussed President Obama's religious beliefs and praised Obama as he "stopped religion from being a wedge issue" in the last election.

Professor Jones has written and spoken widely about the speeches of both Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. He called Obama "the best political orator since Reagan." Jones' most recent work is Reagan at Moscow State University: Consubstantiality Underlying Conflict, Rhetoric, and Public Affairs (Spring 2007).

A video of the conversation will be available soon.