Chris Hedges, a former Middle East bureau chief for The New York Times and a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, spent two years researching his latest book, "American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America." The veteran journalist also writes a column for Truthdig.

Sam Harris has become America's premier atheist and a prominent critic of religious influence in all its forms. His work includes the New York Times bestsellers "The End of Faith" and "Letter to a Christian Nation," and the acclaimed Truthdig essay "An Atheist Manifesto."

Robert Scheer, a journalist with nearly 40 years of experience and the author of eight books, is the editor in chief of Truthdig. As a columnist, Scheer has frequently chronicled the collision of religion and politics around the world.

A Truthdig debate between Sam Harris and Chris Hedges,
moderated by Robert Scheer

At a time of virulent religious fanaticism extending from Afghanistan to Washington, D.C., Truthdig presents two of the most courageous writers confronting this descent into modern irrationality.  A nonbeliever and a believer—one who sees religion as a scourge and one who argues that the loss of the spiritual has plunged our society into violence and extremism—they have both written passionately and profoundly about this subject and will share their thoughts in what promises to be a fascinating evening of debate and dialogue.

Event Information

Religion and Politics: The End of the World? A Truthdig Debate
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
8 p.m.
Royce Hall, UCLA

Parking instructions: Enter Royce Drive off Sunset Boulevard.
View the parking map

Tickets

Limited Gold Circle: $35 (sold out)
Preferred: $20
Standard: $15

View the seating chart (PDF)

Tickets available at Royce Hall (Campus Ticket Office) or Ticketmaster.

CTO ticket orders and information: (310) 825-2101
(Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat-Sun 10 a.m.-2 p.m.)

Ticketmaster ticket orders: (213) 365-3500
Ticketmaster website: www.ticketmaster.com

UCLA Performing Arts website: www.uclalive.org

Ticket pickup:
* In person at any Ticketmaster outlet.
* At the theater box office, which opens one hour prior to the event.
The box office accepts cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

Phone and website orders will be mailed to customers two weeks before the event.

Requests for tickets to be mailed earlier will be honored upon authorization of the credit card charge.

Tickets ordered less than two weeks before the event will be at the will-call window.

Books

Immediately after the event there will be a formal book signing.

Books by all three authors will be on sale in the lobby of Royce Hall before and after the debate.

Books by Sam Harris, Chris Hedges and Robert Scheer are also available for purchase online in the Truthdig Bazaar.

Event Co-Sponsors:

ACLU
Addicted to War
Alternet
Bruin Alliance of Skeptics & Secularists, a UCLA student group
CODEPINK
Global Voices for Justice
Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace
The Nation Institute
Palisadians for Peace
UCLA Performing Arts

About Truthdig

Truthdig is a Web magazine that provides expert in-depth coverage of current affairs as well as other thoughtful, provocative content assembled from a progressive point of view. The site approaches its mission to “drill beneath the headlines” with a wide range of material, including extensive “digs,” original reports, interviews, columns, videos and political cartoons.

This month Truthdig won both the juried Webby Award and People’s Voice Award in the category of Best Political Blog.