Belief and Ballots: An American podcast on faith and the public sphere
Belief and Ballots is a podcast sponsored by Saint Anselm College’s Center for the Study of Religion and Public Life. It explores the relationship between faith, the public sphere, and political engagement, including interreligious and interfaith perspectives. The podcast features interviews with scholars, activists, and religious leaders from various faith traditions. It also includes discussions of current events and political issues from a religious perspective, focusing on how different faith traditions can come together to address these issues.
Episodes
Belief & Ballots Season 2 Episode 5- Meghan Clark, Catholic Social Teaching in a Modern Context
Meghan J. Clark, Ph.D., is a professor of moral theology at St John’s University (NY). At St. John’s, Dr. Clark engages students inside and outside the classroom on diverse topics in moral theology and Catholic social thought. In 2015, Dr. Clark was a Fulbright Scholar to the Hekima Institute for Peace Studies and International Relations at Hekima University College, Nairobi, Kenya. She has condu
Belief and Ballots Season 2, Episode 4- Katherine Stewart, Money, Lies, and God – Christian Nationalism in America
Katherine Stewart is an award-winning author and journalist who has covered politics, religion, and the rise of the anti-democratic movement, for over 17 years, Her New York Times bestselling book Money, Lies, and God is on Foreign Affairs's list of Best Books 2025. Her work appears in the New York Times, New Republic and elsewhere. Her previous book The Power Worshippers won Best Book award i
Belief & Ballots Season 2, Episode 3: David Black– Presbyterianism, ICE, and a call to Action
Rev. David Black is the Senior Pastor of The First Presbyterian Church of Chicago. He is called to serve at the edges of the church, where people are discovering faith and where the church is engaging with its community. As one writer puts it, “to be an insider who stands near the door.” His present ministry is focused on adapting a historic church in the heart of the South Side as a hub for local
Belief and Ballots Season 2 Episode 2- Jemar Tisby, Race, Christianity, and the Chrurch
On this episode of Belief and Ballots our guest is Jemar Tisby.Dr. Tisby is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the Church's Complicity in Racism, How to Fight Racism. and How to Fight Racism: Young Reader's Edition. He is also a Professor of History at Simmons College of Kentucky in Louisville. Jemar has also been a co-host of the "Pass the
Belief & Ballots Season 2 Episode 1: Kathryn Tanner – The Politics and Economics of God?
Kathryn Tanner is the Frederick Marquand Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale Divinity School. Prior to coming to Yale, Professor Tanner taught at the University of Chicago Divinity School, where she held the Dorothy Grant Maclear chair in Theology. Her research relates the history of Christian thought to contemporary issues of theological concern using social, cultural, and feminist theory.
Episode 8: Dr. Ibrahim; Women and Gender in Islam
Dr. Celene Ibrahim is a multidisciplinary scholar specializing in Islamic intellectual history, gender studies, comparative religion, and ethics. She is best known for her monograph Women and Gender in the Qur'an (Oxford University Press, 2020). The book won the Association of Middle East Women's Studies Book Award and was featured by the American Academy of Religion for Women's Histor
Episode 7: Rabbi Robin Nafshi; The American Jewish Perspective
Rabbi Robin Nafshi was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2005. She joined Temple Beth Jacob in July 2010. Before that, she served as the Assistant Rabbi at Temple Emeth in Teaneck, NJ, and the Associate Rabbi of Temple Beth-El in Hillsborough, NJ. Rabbi Robin is a graduate of both New York University and Cornell Law School. She worked as an attorney, legal editor
Episode 6: Dr. Emilie Townes; The Womanist Ethic and the African-American Community
Joined by Dr. Emilie Townes, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Religion and Black Studies at Boston University School of Theology. Before coming to Boston University, she also taught at a number of institutions, including DePaul University, Union Theological Seminary in New York, Yale Divinity School, and Vanderbilt Divinity School, where she also served as Dean. She is a widely published
Episode 5: Director Wayne Currie; The Importance of DEI & Black History Month
Wayne Currie is the Director of the Father Jonathan DeFelice Intercultural Center at Saint Anselm College, a position he has held since 2016. He graduated from Northeastern University and holds a Master’s degree from UMass Boston. He is the driving force behind the college’s celebratory events in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and is one of the central figures on campus in its outrea
Episode 4: Professor Sana Haroon; Muslim Culture and Society in South Asia
Professor Sana Haroon is a historian of Muslim culture and society in South Asia. She holds a joint appointment in History and Asian Studies at UMass Boston. She teaches courses on the history of modern South Asia, Islam, and the Indian Ocean. She also runs the South Asian Connections teaching program, which connects UMass Boston classes with classes in South Asia. She leads the Life Stories from
Episode 3: Dr. Reggie Williams, St. Louis University: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Harlem Renaissance
Reggie Williams is an associate professor of theology at St. Louis University. Before being appointed to St. Louis University, Dr. Williams taught at McCormick Theological Seminary. Dr. Williams is an eminent scholar of Black theology, African American studies, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and the Harlem Renaissance. He is the author of Bonhoeffer's Black Jesus: Harlem Renaissance Theology and an Ethi
Episode 2: Professor Marc Rugani; Catholic Social Ethics and Contemporary Issues
In this episode, we are joined by Marc Rugani, Assistant Professor of Theology at Saint Anselm College and Interim Director of the college’s Center for Ethics in Society. Dr. Rugani is a Catholic social ethicist. His research is most often interdisciplinary, exploring intersections among theology, development theory, economics, and political philosophy. His main interest is fostering mutually crit
Episode 1: Dr. Nichole Flores; Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Public Sphere
The Belief and Ballots Podcast hosts Nichole M. Flores, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia, where she researches the constructive contributions of Catholic and Latinx theologies to notions of justice and aesthetics to the life of democracy. Her research in practical ethics addresses issues of democracy, migration, family, gender, economics (labor and consumption
Introduction of the Center for the Study of Religion and Public Life at Saint Anselm College
Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Public Life Professor R. Ward Holder and his Research Assistant Michael Hanna reintroduce the Belief and Ballots podcast in its new iteration. Now hosted by the Center for the Study of Religion and Public Life at Saint Anselm College,
the podcast explores the relationship between faith, the public sphere, and political engagement, including int
Episode 7: Unpacking Catholic Fundamentalism.
Fr. Mark Massa S.J. unpacks Catholic Fundamentalism, tracing its origins and key figures while exploring why it appeals to some Catholics and its impact on American culture and politics. Looking ahead, he delves into the future of Catholic Fundamentalism in a pluralistic world.
Share your thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions via email at campusministry@anselm.edu
Connect with us o
Episode 6: The transformative power of dialogue during conflict.
Professor Erik Cleven discusses the importance, prerequisites, and limits of dialogue and introduces transformative dialogue, an approach to conflict transformation that he co-developed. Professor Cleven emphasizes the importance of doing the needed work before starting a dialogue and how that affects the process and expected outcome.
Share your thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions via ema
Episode 5: Law, Morality and the Supreme Court.
Professor Cathleen Kaveny explores the complex relationship between legislation and morality in the U.S. This episode offers a thought-provoking journey through the challenges of integrating religious voices in public debate, navigating the influence of personal convictions on judicial rulings, and exploring the implications of executive orders and Supreme Court rulings on the discussion surroundi
Episode 4: President Joe Biden's faith and politics: Harmony or Discord?
Our guest, Professor Ward Holder provides a comprehensive analysis of President Joe Biden's Catholic faith and its profound impact on his political ideology. Professor Holder delves into the evolution of the president's faith while highlighting his emphasis on conscience and social justice and how they align closely with the principles of Catholic social teaching.
Share your thoughts, q
Episode 3: The Role of Faith in the 2024 Presidential Election: Analyzing Donald Trump's Beliefs
Our guest, Professor Peter Josephson, delves into the intricate relationship between faith and politics in the 2024 presidential election, focusing on the beliefs of former President Donald Trump.
Share your thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions via email at campusministry@anselm.edu
Connect with us on social media and continue the conversation.
Don't miss out! New episodes of Beli
Episode 2: Religion and voting with an eye on American evangelicals
Our guest, Professor Randall Balmer, is a highly knowledgeable historian who has authored more than a dozen books. In this episode, we will delve into his experiences with evangelicalism, the movement's diverse nature, and its evolution on the public and political scene in recent history.
Don't miss out! New episodes of Belief and Ballots drop biweekly. Subscribe and join the conversatio
Episode 1: Place of Faith in the Public Square
Episode 1: Place of Faith in the Public Square: Should Religion Be Part of the Conversation?
Our guest, Professor Michele Dillon, shares insights into her academic journey, the historical significance of faith traditions in America, and the evolving role of faith in political and societal debates. Engaging with topics such as climate change and societal inclusivity, she emphasizes the potential fo
Belief and Ballots an Introduction
Belief and Ballots, an American podcast on faith in the public sphere, is a podcast of St Anselm College's campus ministry co-sponsored by the Departments of Theology and Politics. The podcast explores the relationship between faith, the public sphere, and political engagement, including interreligious and interfaith perspectives.
Belief and Ballots features interviews with scholars, activists
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