Religion and politics

The Goodspeed Lecture and the Department of Political Science welcome Robert P. Jones, chief executive officer of Public Religion Research Group, presenting “The End of White Christian American and Its Implications for the 2016 Election.”

Jones will discuss his new book “The End of White Christian America,” which has been hailed by The New York Times Review of Books as “quite possibly the most illuminating text for this election year.” Drawing on decades of public opinion and demographic research, Jones challenges us to grasp a new reality–that America is no longer a majority white Christian nation–and examines what influence this will have on the 2016 presidential election.

The presentation and discussion will provide unique insight into: the ways both political parties are responding to these shifts, including Donald Trump’s surprising appeal to white conservative Christian voters; the stark disagreements between white and black Americans over the fairness of the justice system and the #BlackLivesMatter movement; the apocalyptic tone of arguments over same-sex marriage and LGBT rights; and how these recent demographic and cultural changes are shaping–and often distorting–our understanding of principles such as equality, fairness, and religious freedom.