American Evangelicals are undergoing a profound shift in how they conceive their political, social, and civic action in America. Professor Anthea Butler’s talk will explore evangelicals’ changing beliefs, the embrace among many of conspiracy theories and nationalism, and the implications for the upcoming elections of 2022 and 2024.

Anthea Butler is the Geraldine R. Segal Professor in American Social Thought and Chair of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. A historian of African American and American religion, Professor Butler’s research and writing spans African American religion and history, race, politics, Evangelicalism, gender and sexuality, media, and popular culture. You can find more of her writing and public engagement at Antheabutler.com

Butler’s recent book is White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America on Ferris and Ferris/UNC Press. Professor Butler also is a contributor to The 1619 Book: A New Beginning, with a chapter entitled “Church”. Her first book is Women in the Church of God in Christ: Making A Sanctified World, also published by UNC Press.

Professor Butler’s grant awards include a Luce/ACLS Fellowship for the Religion, Journalism and International Affairs grant for 2018-2019 academic year to investigate Prosperity gospel and politics in the American and Nigerian context. She was a Presidential fellow at Yale Divinity School for the 2019-2020 academic year. She is currently a co-director of the Henry Luce Foundation funded Crossroads Project for Black Religious Histories, Communities, and Cultures. Professor Butler currently serves as President of the American Society for Church history.

A sought-after commentator, Professor Butler is an op-ed contributor for MSNBC. Her articles have also been featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NBC, and The Guardian. She has also served as a consultant to PBS series including  Billy Graham, The Black Church,  God in America, and Aimee Semple McPherson.

We are planning a reception for all audience members immediately following the lecture. Thanks to local, independent bookseller Subterranean Books, we will have the speaker’s book for sale and signing. We will update this space with any new or changed information, so please check here the day of the event.

Free and open to all.

We appreciate your RSVP to rap@wustl.edu if you plan to join us in person. If you plan to join us via Zoom, please register by following this link: https://wustl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gAkajmRPTaawvZLF8ufiVw

We expect all guests to follow current university public health policies, which can be found here: https://covid19.wustl.edu/.