Sutherland Institute announced today the addition of Samuel Abrams as a visiting scholar. His work for Sutherland will focus on the broad societal benefits of faith and religious organizations, as well as the importance of religious freedom.
Abrams is a professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College in New York, where he teaches students about political leadership and the impacts of polarization on representation and institutions. His previous academic affiliations include New York University’s Center for Advanced Social Science Research and Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He is also currently a nonresident senior fellow for the American Enterprise Institute.
“Sutherland Institute is uniquely positioned to be a leading voice at the state and national level on the important role faith plays in society,” Abrams said. “I look forward to contributing to the crucial public discussion of how the social value of religion offers broad benefits to all Americans regardless of personal belief or practice. Our nation is suffering from a friendship recession and a loneliness epidemic. So many cannot connect and are talking past each other; Americans are looking for meaning and authentic connections with others and faith based institutions are centuries tested organizations that can help repair our nation and fortify our many diverse communities.”
Abrams’ contributions will include written articles and reports, multimedia assets, press interviews, and participation in key events.
To read Abrams’ first Sutherland analysis on the impact of left-of-center political ideology on Jewish students’ views on Israel, click here.
For more information on Sutherland’s work on the social value of religion, click here.
