Tuesday, Feb. 25 - Saturday, March 1

Religious Pluralism and Democratic Institutions: A Vital Connection

The Student Conference on Religion in the Public Sphere (SCRIPS) focuses on the role that religion plays in a flourishing society, empowering students to be active agents in their communities, increasing their abilities to engage in civil discourse and to be a voice for religious pluralism.

The 2025 theme explores the role that religious pluralism (the condition under which many faiths can co-exist and flourish) can play in restoring and maintaining general trust in democratic institutions. Fading trust in institutions generally, and democratic institutions in particular, is evident in many parts of American culture. The recent election cycle has made this shift poignantly clear. Much ink has been spilled on the subject of how to restore both the trust we have lost and our democratic institutions themselves. The place of religious pluralism in establishing, maintaining, and restoring this trust is often neglected in public conversations—and that may be especially true at institutions of higher education.

Students will answer specific questions and present on real-world application of these ideas. The specific case study questions will be revealed the first day of the conference.

What To Expect

• Day One: Intensive, well-guided exposure to key ideas around religious pluralism and its vital contribution to democratic institutions as you participate in plenary sessions with each of our amazing faculty
• Day Two: Problem-solving in a group setting as you work with your team on developing a proposal to address the problem presented in the conference prompt
• Day Three: Practice in professional communications as you polish up your proposal and make a presentation as a team to the other teams, fielding questions and receiving feedback from faculty

Conference Outcomes

• Increased ability to engage in civil discourse
• Increased ability to be a voice for religious pluralism
• New networks to enrich your current educational experience as well as future possibilities
• Increased confidence in solving problems by incremental effort

Registration Fees

• $75 registration includes accommodation and meals
• Travel costs to and from BYU are the responsibility of participants or their sponsoring departments
• Please email us if the registration fee is prohibitive. Students may apply for travel assistance.

Location

SCRIPS will take place at BYU's Aspen Grove, a remote retreat center located an hour away from Salt Lake City, Utah, near the Sundance Mountain Resort. This stunning mountain location provides a beautiful ambiance for the conference. Please note that the nearest services and convenience stores are a 30 minute drive from Aspen Grove.