active citizenship across the political divide

Based on ethnographic fieldwork in a local Tea Party group and a progressive faith-based community organization, this project offers an in-depth portrait of grassroots organizing and active citizenship across the political divide. A book based on this research, entitled Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy Across the Political Divide, was recently published by the University of California Press. In addition, selected findings are reported in the American Sociological Review, Contexts, Qualitative Sociology and Understanding the Tea Party Movement. 

the politics of (in)civility

Based on ethnographic research, media coverage of recent events, a review of existing research on political protest, and an original experiment, this project explores the ways in which authorities and political actors engage in civility discourse as a means of controlling protest, delegitimizing opponents, and claiming moral distinction.

religion and progressive politics

This line of research investigates the ways in which progressive religious leaders and communities inject their voices and values into public debates in the US, with an emphasis on national policy debates. A co-edited book on this subject, Religion and Progressive Activism: New Stories About Faith and Politics, was recently published by NYU Press. In addition, findings are reported in the American Sociological Review, the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, and other outlets.
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religious conviction and intellectual humility
in public life

Strong convictions drive participation in democratic public life. Yet participants must also be willing to listen to and learn from people with whom they disagree. The presumption that it is difficult for individuals to act with conviction and humility simultaneously, particularly when convictions are religious in nature, has led to concern about the role of religion in democratic public life. This project, launched with an interdisciplinary conference, asks whether religious conviction and humility are actually at odds with one another, and what the study of religious groups can tell us more generally about the possibility of communicating across social and political differences in an era of heightened polarization.