‘Belief’ is the theme for Chicago Humanities Fallfest

“What do you believe?”

That’s the question to be posed by the Chicago Humanities Festival this fall throughout its run, Oct 28-Nov. 12, according to the official announcement released today.

More than 100 events are scheduled under the fest’s overall theme of “Belief.”

Headlining some of those public events will be former Vice President Al Gore (whose “documentary “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” hits theaters July 27), former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Samantha Power (who will also head up the festival’s annual gala celebration Oct. 9), historian Ron Chernow, whose bestselling book “Alexander Hamilton” inspired the stage musical “Hamilton,” and Reza Aslan, religious studies scholar and host of CNN’s “Believer,” the announcement confirmed.

“The meaning of belief has become both urgent and complex. Sometimes it looks like there are too many beliefs, people doubling down on belief in defiance of facts. Other times, we need more belief — more trust in our institutions, more conviction about what counts as true, and as valuable,” said CHF’s Marilynn Thoma artistic director Jonathan Elmer, in today’s announcement. “We think our theme leads us directly into the ambiguity of our modern world.”

New to the festival will be programming at the South Shore Cultural Center, scheduled for Nov. 5.

“…CHF will continue its efforts to program across our city’s wards,” said Alison Cuddy, associate artistic director of the festival, in a prepared statement. “The historic South Shore Cultural Center will be part of Fallfest for the first time ever, and we’ll be returning to Bronzeville for another evening of neighborhood-specific programming with a number of community partners.”

The fest’s full lineup of events and special guests will be announced in September. For more information (tickets go on sale Sept 26), visit chicagohumanities.org/belief