Haidt’s appearance is set for 7 pm Thursday, Oct. 25. The event will be moderated by Senior Pastor Scott Black Johnston.

“The Gotto Lecture Series is intended to create provocative opportunities for learning and engagement with some of the best minds in religion and ethics,” Scott said. “At a time when Americans are divided sharply, and angrily, by politics and ideology, Jonathan Haidt helps us understand the causes of our deep polarization. More importantly, he offers hope that we can come together and heal.”

Haidt is the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business. His research focuses on the use of moral psychology to transcend the “culture wars,” enhance public discourse and foster more civil forms of politics.

Haidt is the author of The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom (Basic Books, 2006), which drew connections between contemporary psychology and ancient religious and philosophical wisdom on the human condition. His next book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion (Pantheon Books, 2012), reached #6 on the New York Times’ best-seller list for non-fiction. He is the co-author (with Greg Lukianoff) of the new book, The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure (Penguin Publishing Group, 2018).

His lecture at Fifth Avenue will draw on the major themes of these books.

“American society has moved sharply away from ancient wisdom and mutual understanding,” Haidt says. “I think religious congregations are the best places in America for doing the work of reweaving our social and civic life.”

The Gotto Lecture Series is made possible through the generosity of Anita and Dr. Tony Gotto. The Gottos have been members of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church since 1998.

Through the Gotto Lecture Series, Fifth Avenue will offer compelling talks and presentations by renowned theologians and preachers, writers and scholars, across a range of faith traditions and academic disciplines. This series will build on the success of our visiting authors program, created in 2010, which has featured such acclaimed writers as Thomas Long, Marilynne Robinson, Barbara Brown Taylor and Christian Wiman.