Join the Rumi Forum, the Institute for Religion and Democracy (IRD), and the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy (ICRD) for a book talk with journalist and broadcaster Carrie Sheffield. Her recent memoir, “The Motorhome Prophecies: A Journey of Healing and Forgiveness,” recounts and explores her relationships in her communities and her family, and her explorations through the development of her faith across religious communities, toward the ultimate peace and healing she found in her relationship with God. In a time of great political divisions with deep religious and spiritual undertones reaching from the political to the personal, we hope to explore how family reconciliation and personal conversion might help us think about our national public life with Carrie.

Author

Carrie Sheffield is a columnist and broadcaster in Washington, DC. She earned a full-tuition Harvard scholarship, managed billions of dollars in risk at Wall Street firms, and competed in a Miss USA system beauty pageant. A journalist and former White House correspondent, she challenged the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and testified as an economic expert before the US Congress. Carrie achieved all this while overcoming a life of extreme poverty and psychological, spiritual, and sexual abuse. A recovered agnostic, Carrie eventually found peace and anchoring in Christianity.

Carrie shares insights on networks like CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CBS News, CNBC, and BBC. From ABC’s Good Morning America to HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, PBS, and C-SPAN, she uses her dynamic voice to resonate with audiences of millions. Carrie, a traveling enthusiast, visited every continent—including Antarctica—before age 30. She ran the Marine Corps Marathon and won the National Press Club 5K thrice. Named a “Most Inspiring New Yorker” by the popular connection app Bumble, Carrie is passionate about instilling resilience and joy in others.

Moderator

Luke Nathan Phillips is a writer, tour guide, and MC based in Northern Virginia. He has extensive experience in policy, civic engagement, and public discourse and has worked with nonprofits, civic organizations, magazines, and research institutions in bipartisan, reformist, and conservative spaces since 2017. Luke has organized, hosted, and facilitated numerous panels, debates, and workshops across the U.S., engaging policy experts, activists, and young professionals. He also provides customized tours in Washington, D.C., tailored for student and civic groups.

His writings have appeared in American Affairs, The National Interest, The Dispatch, The American Conservative, and RealClearPolicy, among others. A Braver Angels volunteer since 2017, he served as Publius Fellow for Public Discourse (2021–2024) and was David Brooks’ scheduler (2019–2021).