Overview
CFR’s Religion and Foreign Policy (RFP) program serves as a resource for faith leaders and policymakers, and offers a forum for congregational leaders, seminary heads, scholars of religion, and representatives of faith-based organizations to discuss global issues in an interfaith environment. CFR produces a vast array of resources that provide nonpartisan and authoritative analysis to inform the work of religious thinkers and educators and foster dialogue in their communities.
Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars
Led by a CFR expert or faith leader, the Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar series offers members of the religion community access to interreligious conversations on timely issues at the intersection of religion and international affairs.
Video recordings and transcripts of the webinars are available after the fact at CFR.org/rfp-calls.
View the Fall/Winter 2025 schedule of Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars here.
Recent Webinars
Religion
Musimbi Kanyoro, chair of the United World Colleges international board, and Olivia Wilkinson, senior fellow with the Faith and Global Health Initiative of the Georgetown University Global Health Institute, discuss how religious communities and civil society advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Azza Karam, founding president and CEO of Lead Integrity, moderates the conversation.
Webinar
with Musimbi Kanyoro, Olivia Wilkinson and Azza Karam
September 9, 2025
Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars
Religion
Thomas J. Reese, senior analyst for Religion News Service; Stephen Schneck, commissioner of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom; and George Weigel, senior fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, discuss Pope Leo XIV’s foreign policy priorities during his first 100 days and the Vatican’s evolving role in international diplomacy. Claire Giangravé, Vatican reporter for Religion News Service, moderates the conversation.
Webinar
with Thomas J. Reese, Stephen Schneck, George Weigel, Claire Giangravé and Irina A. Faskianos
August 12, 2025
Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars
Religion
Ilia Delio, founder of the Center for Christogenesis and a Franciscan sister of Washington, DC, and Noreen Herzfeld, the Nicholas and Bernice Reuter professor of science and religion at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, discuss how religious worldviews and spiritual traditions can inform global AI policy and explore the role of faith leaders in shaping inclusive, ethical, and internationally responsible governance of artificial intelligence.
Virtual Event
with Ilia Delio, Noreen Herzfeld and Irina A. Faskianos
June 17, 2025
Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars
Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop
CFR’s annual Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop brings together leaders from across the U.S. religious landscape at CFR’s New York headquarters for two days of expert panels and discussion group sessions. The 2022 workshop was held in a hybrid format in May, with people attending both in person and virtually. The 2021 workshop was held virtually in May 2021, and the 2019 workshop was held at CFR’s New York headquarters in June 2019.
Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop
Religion
The Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop convenes clergy, seminary heads, scholars of religion, and representatives of faith-based organizations from around the country for discussions with policymakers, CFR fellows, and other experts. The event is a valuable opportunity to engage with colleagues and participate in substantive conversations on international issues of interest to religious communities.
The workshop will include an opening night dinner conversation, plenary sessions, and breakout discussions with choices among a variety of thematic and regional topics.
Access the complete agenda here
Event
with Prashan De Visser, Josefina Echavarría Álvarez, Mohamed Elsanousi, Nazila Ghanea, Samah Norquist, Wai Wai Nu, Ebenezer Obadare, Shannon K. O'Neil, Farah Pandith, Melissa Rogers, Paul B. Stares, Knox Thames, Azza Karam, Peter Mandaville, Simran Jeet Singh and Burton L. Visotzky
February 11, 2025
Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop
Religion
Event
with R. Scott Appleby, Esther Brimmer, Sarah G. Cook, Susan H. Farbstein, Marc Gopin, Thomas Graham, Lauren Herzer Risi, James F. Jeffrey, Mohamed Magid, Katherine Marshall, Patricia Parera, Orville Hickok Schell, Melanne Verveer, Caitlin Welsh, Mayfair Yang, Mark E. Fowler, James B. Heimowitz, Terrence L. Johnson, Shannon K. O'Neil, Akila Radhakrishnan and Somini Sengupta
May 16, 2023
Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop
Religion
The 2022 Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop is part of the CFR Religion and Foreign Policy program. The goal of the workshop is to advance understanding of the forces shaping international relation…
Event
with Gerald L. Durley, Elise Giuliano, Elise Giuliano, Galen Guengerich, Richard Haass, Lisa Sharon Harper, Daisy Khan, Daisy Khan, Charles A. Kupchan, Charles A. Kupchan, Rosalyn LaPier, Ruth W. Messinger, Yascha Mounk, Kilaparti Ramakrishna, Kilaparti Ramakrishna, Melissa Rogers, Melissa Rogers, Stephen Sestanovich, Stephen Sestanovich, Sunita Viswanath, Chloe Breyer, Felice D. Gaer, Felice D. Gaer, Reena Ninan, Reena Ninan, Simran Jeet Singh, Simran Jeet Singh, Mary Evelyn Tucker and Mary Evelyn Tucker
May 17, 2022
Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop
Religion
SINGH: Hi, everyone. I'm Simran Jeet Singh, senior advisor for diversity and inclusion at YSC Consulting and a visiting professor at Union Theological Seminary. I'm delighted to be moderating today'…
Event
with Sylvester Johnson, Mark Juergensmeyer, Azza Karam and Simran Jeet Singh
May 19, 2021
Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop
Religion
KIM: Thank you. Greetings, I'm Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, an organization that connects forty denominations and scores of Christian institutions and ministry…
Event
with Jacqueline J. Lewis, Melissa Rogers and Walter Kim
May 19, 2021
Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop
Religion
JENKINS: Hello. Welcome, again, to the second day of the Council on Foreign Relations Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop.
I am Jack Jenkins, national reporter with Religion News Service here in …
Event
with Timothy M. Dolan and Jack Jenkins
May 19, 2021
Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop
Religion
FASKIANOS: Thank you and welcome everybody. I'm Irina Faskianos, vice president of the National Program and Outreach at the Council on Foreign Relations. As a reminder, today's session is on the reco…
Event
with Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, Nazanin Ash, Elizabeth G. Ferris and Irina A. Faskianos
May 18, 2021
Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop
Religion
TIPPETT: Well, it is my pleasure to convene this gathering with a few announcements. First of all, welcome, everyone, to this opening session of the CFR Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop. I am Kri…
Event
with Richard Haass and Krista Tippett
May 18, 2021
Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop
Religion and Foreign Policy Events
Organized in New York, Washington, DC, and around the country, the Religion and Foreign Policy Roundtable series provides an intimate setting for in-depth conversations.
Recent Events
Human Rights
Shadi Mokhtari, assistant professor at the School of International Service at American University, and Ebenezer Obadare, the Douglas Dillon senior fellow for Africa studies at CFR, discuss how differ…
Event
with Shadi Mokhtari, Ebenezer Obadare and Jennifer Butler
November 21, 2022
Religion and Foreign Policy Roundtables
Nigeria
Samuel Brownback, ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, discusses extremism and the decline of religious freedom in Northern Nigeria. John Campbell, Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at CFR, moderates.
Event
with Sam Brownback and John Campbell
October 22, 2020
Religion and Foreign Policy Roundtables
Religion
Rebecca Linder Blachly, Shaun Casey, and Suhail A. Khan discuss how to best provide policymakers with contextual information as they debate and vote on issues pertaining to religion, with Brie Loskota moderating.
Event
with Rebecca Linder Blachly, Shaun Casey, Suhail A. Khan and Brie Loskota
November 25, 2019
Religion and Foreign Policy Roundtables
Professional Conference Participation
Upcoming Conferences
CFR hosts exhibition booths and distributes resources at professional conferences and association meetings across the country. Look for us at the Religion News Association Annual Conference and at the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting.
Contact
For more information about CFR’s Religion and Foreign Policy program, please email [email protected] or call 212.434.9653.
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