We are a dedicated group of scholars and professionals working to support outstanding analysis of the historical and contemporary intertwining of religion and politics. Our aim is to educate students and the public through our courses, events, and publications, while modeling discussion and debate that values each person’s humanity as the cornerstone of a productive democracy. Watch our video below to learn more about us!

Fall 2021 Course Highlight

Conscience and Religion in American Politics

What role should conscience, especially religious conscience, play in American politics? By considering what conscience is and what vision of religion and politics it implies, this course invites us to reflect on what it means to be American – how religion should relate to politics, how individuals should engage with democratic laws and norms with which they disagree, and how religious and political dissenters might stand at odds with American democracy. We focus on key moments and texts in the twentieth century, from the Interwar Period, the Cold War, the long Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, to the more recent “culture wars” on abortion, LBGTQ rights, and the death penalty. Image: Ronald Neibuhr and James Baldwin, “The Meaning of the Birmingham Tragedy,” 1963, Presbyterian Historical Society.

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  Amy Gais