Leard Family Initiative on Religion and Global Affairs

About the initiative

The Leard Family Initiative on Religion and Global Affairs at the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict helps Arizona State University students and the wider community explore how religious beliefs shape political decisions, global conflicts and possibilities for cooperation.

The initiative supports the development of university courses on migration, religious freedom and global politics that connect the humanities, political science and global studies. Through public programs that bring scholars and practitioners into conversation with students and community members, it extends that learning beyond the classroom, connecting research to questions that affect people’s lives around the world.

I so believe in the goodness of everybody and in the potential of people.
Barb Leard

Shaped by Barb’s faith and encounters with other religious traditions and Tom’s experiences abroad, the Leards share a conviction: understanding religious beliefs matters to how we live and work together. Their gift gives students and community members opportunities to develop that understanding.

Spring 2027 RGA course information

REL 204: Religious Freedom

Freedom of religion is a foundational ideal in the United States. This course considers the historical and philosophical origins of religious freedom and traces the emergence of legal, political and social institutions related to this ideal. Also examines complicated and ongoing debates about what can and should be specially protected as 'religion.'

Various instructors
On-ground and online options
A, B and C sessions

In-person, Online

204 course details

POS | REL 378: Religion, War and Peace

In-depth study of the religious, political and ethical dimensions of violence and war. Compares perspectives of Christian, Jewish and Islamic traditions as well as secular viewpoints.

John Carlson
T Th | Noon-1:15 p.m.
1/11/2027 - 4/30/2027 (C)

In-person

378 course details

HST | POS | REL | SGS 396: Islam and Politics

Examines Islamic political ideas with respect to texts, history, society and movements from Muhammad to the present day.

Han Hsien Liew
M W | 1:30-2:45 p.m.
1/11/2027 - 4/30/2027 (C)

In-person

396 course details

Events

Launch event - Witnessing Atrocity: Religion, Storytelling and Reconciliation

Thursday, November 5, 2026
4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. (MST)
Turquoise Ballroom (Memorial Union, Room 220)
301 E. Orange St., Tempe, AZ 85281
Free and open to all.

During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, some church leaders incited and participated in atrocities, leaving survivors to confront profound betrayals of faith. Award-winning journalists Philip Gourevitch and Anand Gopal explore religion’s role in both violence and reconciliation, and how witnessing and storytelling can deepen empathy and inform responses to conflict today.

This conversation launches the Leard Family Initiative on Religion and Global Affairs at ASU’s Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict.

301 E. Orange St., Tempe, AZ 85281

Event details + registration

Turn inspiration into impact

Inspired by the Leards? Connect with us about creating an initiative, establishing an endowment or making a one-time gift to the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict.

Giving opportunities