About the Center

We are a dedicated group of scholars and professionals working to support outstanding analysis of the historical and contemporary intertwinings 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. 

Fall 2025 Course Highlight

American Non-Christian Churches

This course explores the history and significance of how American law and culture define “religion” and “church.” 

Course Details About the Undergrad Minor

Upcoming Event

From Morning in America to American Carnage: The Role of the Religious Imaginary in American Politics

Professor Diane Winston (USC) in conversation with Mark Oppenheimer

Details

Latest from Our Journal

The Ugly and Beautiful Gods

By Blake Smith

Our greatest modern poets insisted they were in dialogue with—or even channeling directly—the divine. Would we like what these gods had to say?

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Recent News

In Remembrance of Sen. Alan K. Simpson by John C. Danforth

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Sen. Alan Simpson at a National Advisory Board meeting of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics, May 13, 2015.