Politics, religion and the role of public discourse in our democracy.

Hosted by Jonathan Bastian Oct. 17, 2020 Health & Wellness

Bishop Mark Seitz and priests from his diocese knelt for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to honor George Floyd during a protest, El Paso, June 1, 2020. Photo courtesy of Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters (CC BY-ND).

Just weeks away from a historic election, what role will religion play in influencing the candidates and getting out the vote? KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian talks with Randall Balmer, professor of religion at Dartmouth University and an episcopal priest who explains that the influence of religion in today’s political landscape is a relatively new phenomena in America’s history. Later we’ll ask two ministers whether leaders of faith should use their platforms to express their political points of view or should they stay silent?

From this Episode:

How politics and religion became intertwined in America

Religion and politics are two highly emotive subjects in today’s public discourse. Until relatively recently, leaders of faith championed social causes rather than exert...

26 min

How Christian faith leaders are squaring climate activism with belief

As we get closer to the November 3 election, what role will religion play in influencing the candidates and getting out the vote? Should leaders of faith use their pulpit to...

26 min