Recovering Truth Arizona State University Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict

When Sarah Viren began writing her memoir, she thought it would be about her high school philosophy teacher — a charismatic, guru-like figure who taught his students to question everything. Even, in the end, the reality of the holocaust. But while she was writing, Sarah and her family were caught up in a web of lies when false charges of sexual misconduct were brought against her wife, Marta, and eventually against Sarah herself. In her new book "To Name the Bigger Lie: A Memoir in Two Stories" she book she tells how, in the course of trying to prove their innocence, she’s drawn back into the questions that her high school teacher inspired all those years ago: about the nature of truth, the pull of seductive conspiracies, and the stakes we all have in getting the story right.

Some candidates in the midterm elections said they would refuse to accept or certify election results that didn't come out in their favor. This echoed the sentiment of others from earlier this year, like Otero County, New Mexico's former election commissioner Couy Griffin. He refused to certify the county’s 2022 primary election results not because of any irregularities in the voting or reports of voter fraud, but because he had a gut feeling that fueled his belief and outweighed any need for evidence. Griffin was eventually removed from office following a conviction for his role in the Capitol insurrection, but there are still lingering questions about the ways in which feeling and belief play into our legal system. How do we seek truth in elections that are increasingly fueled by belief?

Amid growing international sanctions, Putin has been tightening control on media outlets in Russia, and actively arresting war protestors, including children. He has also turned to the Russian Orthodox Church for religious support in his war of aggression. Putin’s actions, his use of religious language as pointed culture wars rhetoric, and his support by some conservative religious actors abroad have painted this invasion as a war of morality, of good versus evil, perhaps even a holy war. At the same time, Putin’s language about Ukraine emphasizes antisemitism and anti-westernism, and promotes what he views as traditional values, including religious values. So is Vladimir Putin a religious zealot? A ruthless cynic? Is he the face of a new post-Soviet fascist state?

Misinformation and disinformation campaigns about journalists have flourished in recent years, and trust in the media has suffered. Many media outlets have sought to counter these forces through fact-checking and adherence to objectivity in reporting – a longstanding principle of traditional journalism.  At the same time, many in journalism are re-assessing the role and limits of objectivity, what it means to be an accurate and trustworthy journalist, and how the media should address systemic inequalities within democracy, including how those inequalities shape our news.

You’ll find references to “my truth” in plenty of self-help books, and we're frequently encouraged to share our experiences, opinions, and stories about how we perceive ourselves and our views of reality. But is the focus on "my truth" a sign that we no longer believe truth is something that is shared? And what are the stakes for democracy if citizens no longer hold certain truths in common, or even share the same reality?

What is the role of science in a democracy? As the pandemic regains intensity in its second year, what are the stakes of the truth divide for the health of our nation?