Religion & Cross-Cultural Christian Nationalism
Religious nationalism is not bound by national borders. Examining Christian nationalism in the United States and Brazil provides an opportunity to discuss the similarities and differences in its history, prominence, and influence in a cross-national perspective. This discussion will also reflect on the various responses to religious nationalism in each country both institutionally and across the population. Join us for a conversation at the intersection of two contrasting versions of Christian nationalism and how we might better understand the impetus for and responses to each.
Host: Andrew Whitehead
Andrew Whitehead is Professor of Sociology and Executive Director of the Association of Religion Data Archives (theARDA.com) at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University Indianapolis. He is also a research fellow for the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. Whitehead is one of the foremost scholars of Christian nationalism in the United States. He is the author of American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church, which was awarded the 2024 Gold Medal Book Award for Religion from Foreword Reviews and the 2024 Midwest Book Award winner for Religion & Philosophy.
Panelist: João Chaves
João Chaves is Assistant Professor of the History of Religion in the Americas at Baylor University’s Department of Religion. At Baylor, he also serves as a codirector of the Baptist Scholars International Roundtable, a member of the Graduate Faculty in Religion, and an affiliated faculty member in the Ethics Initiative of the College of Arts and Sciences. An award-winning author of several books, Chaves is currently working on projects that examine Latino migration and religion, the Christian far right in the Americas, and transnational investment patterns of immigrant-led churches in the US. His public-facing scholarship has been published in various periodicals and magazines, including The Washington Post and The Christian Century.
João's Full BioPanelist: Miranda Cruz
Miranda Cruz is Professor of Historical Theology at Indiana Wesleyan University. She teaches theology and church history, with a focus on the practical application of Christian doctrine in life and ministry. She has written several articles on topics related to Christianity under Communism in Eastern Europe. She is also the author of Faithful Politics: Ten Approaches to Christian Citizenship and Why It Matters (IVP Academic, 2024).
Miranda's Full BioPanelist: Ronilso Pacheco
Ronilso Pacheco, a Brazilian theologian graduated from PUC-Rio (Catholic Pontifical University of Rio de Janeiro) and holds an M.A. in Religion and Society from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Ronilso is the program director at ISER (Institute of Studies on Religion) and was a professor of Ethics in the Philosophy Department at Manhattan University. Ronilso is a researcher interested in democracy, race, fundamentalism, and extremism. He is the author of the books Teologia Negra (Black Theology) and Occupy, Resist, and Subvert. He is a frequent contributor to various media outlets in Brazil and a regular columnist for the UOL channel, where he comments on international politics and religion.
Religion & Cross-Cultural Christian Nationalism Recordings
Religion & Cross-Cultural Christian Nationalism was hosted live on Thursday, September 18, via Zoom and on location at Indiana University Indianapolis. Video and audio recordings of this episode are now available on YouTube and major podcast platforms. Watch the video below and use the links to access the Religion & podcast feeds.
Learning & Teaching Resources
Show Notes & Questions from Audience
Christian Nationalism and the Vote for Donald Trump in the 2024 Presidential Election: A State-Level Analysis by Andrew L. Whitehead & Samuel L. Perry
Faithful Politics: Ten Approaches to Christian Citizenship and Why It Matters by Miranda Cruz
The Reconfiguration of Power by Ronilso Pacheco
Christianity, Race, and Ethnicity: Latinx Critical Conversations on Identity Construction and Religious Participation, Perspectives in Religious Studies by João Chaves
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