Indiana Humanities launches exploration of religious liberty

As America approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Indiana Humanities is launching a multi-year project to explore the role of religion in Hoosiers’ lives, and to engage with how religious liberty – an idea that was central to the founding of America – influences education, democracy, culture, and the breadth of human experience in our religiously vibrant and diverse state. 

Through a variety of programming, the Matters of Religion project will bring Hoosiers together to explore why America’s founders valued freedom of conscience, how the meaning of religious liberty is negotiated and experienced by individuals and communities, and how curiosity about the religious lives of others can animate our commitment to freedom and strengthen the civic fabric of our state.

“Religious movements were early providers of humanities engagement in our state, spreading literacy and bringing texts, arts, and stories into communities as sources of connection, truth, and meaning,” said Megan Telligman, director of programs at Indiana Humanities. “We lean on this tradition every day at Indiana Humanities, so it’s particularly fitting that we are embarking on this project to celebrate the ways that Hoosiers engage with religion, and to understand religious liberty as a vital condition for our collective thriving.”

Matters of Religion will unfold with a collection of programs. They include statewide grantmaking to local libraries, museums, congregations, schools, and other organizations; a traveling exhibition; speakers bureau; public conversations; research fellowships, and more.

To lead the project, Indiana Humanities has hired Terre Haute native Emma Crossen as director of religious initiatives. Crossen earned a master of divinity from Harvard Divinity School and a bachelor of arts, history and political science from Bethany College.

“The stuff of religion is the stuff of being human – how we seek truth, make meaning, understand right and wrong, and embrace (or reject) stories, traditions, and institutions to find guidance and belonging in these endeavors,” said Crossen. “Every person, family, and community in Indiana has a story to tell about the matters of religion in their own lives. I’m excited to engage Hoosiers in programs that help us approach these stories with curiosity and respect.”

Crossen brings to the role two decades of experience with religious congregations, nonprofit partnerships, and place-based programming. She has served as executive director and street minister for The Outdoor Church in Cambridge, Mass., deputy director of Courage California, and as a mediator with the Community Justice and Mediation Center in Bloomington, Ind. In addition, Crossen has held development positions at Indiana State University Foundation, Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Vermont Law and Graduate School.

A grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. is supporting Indiana Humanities’ religious liberty project.

Join a mailing list to receive news about Matters of Religion here, including the launch of the statewide grantmaking program and the speakers bureau later this summer.