“Keep Your Zombies Close: How I stopped shuddering & learned to love ideological critique”
Dr. Sarah Lauro (University of Tampa), author of The Transatlantic Zombie: Slavery, Rebellion, and Living Death (2015) in conversation with Dr. Angela Zito, co-Director of the Center for Religion & Media, discussed the politics and passions of zombie creep today.
“Jews and Comedy”
Dr. Sarah Emanuel and Dr. Jennifer Caplan discussed the connection between Jews and comedy to mark the release of Dr. Caplan’s new book, Funny, You Don’t Look Funny: Judaism and Humor from The Silent Generation to Millennials.
“Christian Nationalists, The Possibility of War, and the Future of American Democracy”
Dr. Bradley Onishi, author of Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism — And What Comes Next, spoke with NYU’s Dr. Brett Krutzsch about Christian nationalism’s prominence, if we’re facing more violence like January 6, and what the midterm elections foretell about the 2024 race.
“Religion and Hip Hop”
Dr. Alejandro Nava, author of Street Scriptures: Between God and Hip Hop, joined Dr. Erika Gault, author of Networking the Black Church: Digital Black Christians and Hip Hop, for a conversation about hip hop, religion, and race.
“The Power of Catholicism in Secular France”
Elayne Oliphant discussed her book, The Privilege of Being Banal: Art, Secularism, and Catholicism in Paris, with Alyssa Maldonda-Estrada. The two addressed topics such as the role Catholicism plays in nonreligious spaces in France and the power that Catholicism has in shaping French life and politics.
“White Evangelical Racism”
Ann Neumann sat down with Anthea Butler, author of White Evangelical Racism, to discuss the role racism plays in white evangelical communities, how racism shapes evangelicals’ political involvement, and what the country need to do to confront white supremacy.
“Broadway and Belief”
Jacob Johnson, author of Lying in the Middle: Musical Theater and Belief in the Heart of America, and Stacy Wolf, author of Beyond Broadway: The Pleasure and Promise of Musical Theater Across America, discussed what Broadway musicals have to do with religion, what beliefs they foster, and what ideas they promote about America that reverberate across the country.
“Not Your Grandparents’ Language: Yiddish in the 21st Century”
Jeffrey Shandler (Rutgers) sat down with Alisa Solomon (Columbia) to discuss his new book Yiddish: Biography of a Language and the place of Yiddish in today’s culture. An audience Q & A followed the conversation.
“A Marathon Run: Combatting Racism and Raising Religious Literacy”
Simran Jeet Singh, author of the acclaimed new children’s book Fauja Singh Keeps Going, joined Dr. Drew Thomases (San Diego State University) to discuss religious diversity, racial equality, and why more scholars should consider writing children’s books. An audience Q & A followed.
“Christian Nationalism and the 2020 Election”
Katherine Stewart, author of The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism, joins Brett Krutzsch (NYU) for a conversation about Christian nationalism, the separation of church and state, and how to protect American democracy.