ABSTRACT
The energy level was high among the 850 people assembled in a Saint Paul convention center located a few blocks from the Minnesota State Capitol in February 2011. 1 Men and women, old and young, from four distinct religious traditions gathered around tables with others from their home communities. Conversations were animated as they met new people and reconnected with old friends. At my table, three Catholic nuns from the School Sisters of Notre Dame welcomed three college students who were part of an interfaith group on campus. A pastor from a local Lutheran church joined the table and jumped into the conversation. Across the convention hall, these conversations repeated themselves over morning bagels and cups of coffee at the kick off to the 2011 Joint Religious Legislative Coalition (JRLC) Day on the Hill.
