Event recap · A sold-out gathering

Science & Religion: The New Nexus

Cover of Is There a New Religious Revival?, the report behind the convening

On July 24, a sold-out audience filled the Bush Conference Center for a defining dialogue on how an expanding scientific understanding of the universe and biology is opening new, compatible expressions of faith. Relive the afternoon through the photos, the program, and the research below.

  • DateFriday, July 24, 2026 · 4:00 to 7:00 PM
  • NetworkingSunset rooftop · 7:00 to 8:00 PM
  • VenueBush Conference Center · Beckman Hall 404
From the report

Is there a new religious revival?

Not the burial of a dead God, but a complex spiritual restructuring: economic mobility, demographic resilience, and an intellectual realignment.

50%+of Europeans under 40 claim no religion. Secular decline is still real.
45%growth in baptisms in France in 2025, an early sign of a turn.
4×rise in UK churchgoing among 18 to 24 year olds since 2018, from 4% to 16%.
600MPentecostals today, projected to reach 1 billion by 2050.

Read the full report →

Relive the afternoon

Watch the full event

The complete program, from the keynote through both panel discussions and the audience conversation, is now available as a special episode of the Feudal Future podcast.

Listen onApple PodcastsSpotifyfeudalfuturepodcast.com

From the event

Photo highlights

Science and Religion event photo
Science and Religion event photo
Science and Religion event photo
Science and Religion event photo
Science and Religion event photo
Science and Religion event photo
Science and Religion event photo
Science and Religion event photo
Science and Religion event photo
Science and Religion event photo
Science and Religion event photo
Science and Religion event photo
Who was on stage

Speakers and panelists

Featured speakers

Daniele Struppa
Daniele StruppaProfessor; President Emeritus of Chapman University; Parker Kennedy Chair in Mathematics
Congressman Lou Correa
Congressman Lou CorreaU.S. Representative, California’s 46th District
Michael Ibba, Ph.D.
Michael Ibba, Ph.D.Executive Vice President, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Chapman University

Panel 1 · Personal Journeys

Joel Kotkin
ModeratorJoel KotkinExecutive Director, Center for Demographics and Policy, and Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures, Chapman University
Anthony Lemus
PanelistAnthony LemusProfessor & Director of Industry Relations, Fowler School of Engineering, Chapman University
Ashwin Rangan
PanelistAshwin RanganIndependent Director; CEO & Company Officer (ICANN, Walmart, Rockwell Int’l)
Fr. Gregory Bishay
PanelistFr. Gregory BishayPh.D. in Computer Engineering; has served Coptic Orthodox churches in Egypt and the U.S.
Ponthea Zahraii
PanelistPonthea ZahraiiSoftware Engineer specializing in robotics, machine learning, and 3D perception systems

Panel 2 · Reactions and Community Conversation

Marshall Toplansky
ModeratorMarshall ToplanskyCo-Director, Center for Demographics and Policy, and Faculty Fellow for Innovation, Chapman University
PanelistArnold Shugarman, Ph.D.Petroleum Chemist
PanelistChad PrattCommunity Panelist
Fadel Lawandy
PanelistFadel LawandyDirector, Burra School of Accounting and Finance; Leatherby Chair in Entrepreneurship, Chapman University
PanelistNatalie BishaySoftware Engineer specializing in machine learning
PanelistRithika MuthukaliChapman University Alumna; AI Professional
With gratitude

Hosted and sponsored by

Hosted byChapman University, Argyros College of Business and Economics, Alexander E. Hayden School of Real Estate, Center for Demographics and Policy
Sponsored byFieldstead and Company

This gathering was made possible by Fieldstead and Company, whose generosity covered every ticket cost so the program could be free and open to students, lay people, and scientists alike.

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Mahnaz Asghari MA

Mahnaz Asghari

Associate Director