Recent Press Coverage
"Opinon: The MAGA Formula Is Getting Darker and Darker" by Thomas B. Edsall, New York Times.
"Opinion: What Role Will Religion Play in the Midterm Primaries?" by Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter.
"Opinion: How America's Youth Lost Its Religion in the 1990s," by Ryan Burge, Religion News Service.
"Opinion: This religious season reminds us of faith’s liberating promise," by E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post.
"Ahead of the Trend: Scholar: America is still reacting to the religious right, in more ways than one," by Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service.
"Opinion: What Role Will Religion Play in the Midterm Primaries?" by Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter.
"Opinion: How America's Youth Lost Its Religion in the 1990s," by Ryan Burge, Religion News Service.
"Opinion: This religious season reminds us of faith’s liberating promise," by E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post.
"Ahead of the Trend: Scholar: America is still reacting to the religious right, in more ways than one," by Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service.
Recent Public Writing
Braunstein, Ruth. 2022. "The backlash against rightwing evangelicals is reshaping American politics and faith," The Guardian
Braunstein, Ruth. 2021. "Georgia on My Mind: American Christianity between Mythology and Prophecy." Series on "Faith and the American Insurrection." Berkley Forum.
Braunstein, Ruth. 2019. "Making Budgets Moral Again." Series on "The Religious Left: Memory, Trajectory, Relevance." The Immanent Frame.
Braunstein, Ruth. 2018. "Political Myopia and Prophetic Vision." Series on "Is This All There Is?" The Immanent Frame.
Braunstein, Ruth. 2018. "Good Troublemakers." Series on "American Religion, Humility and Democracy." The Immanent Frame.
Braunstein, Ruth. 2021. "Georgia on My Mind: American Christianity between Mythology and Prophecy." Series on "Faith and the American Insurrection." Berkley Forum.
Braunstein, Ruth. 2019. "Making Budgets Moral Again." Series on "The Religious Left: Memory, Trajectory, Relevance." The Immanent Frame.
Braunstein, Ruth. 2018. "Political Myopia and Prophetic Vision." Series on "Is This All There Is?" The Immanent Frame.
Braunstein, Ruth. 2018. "Good Troublemakers." Series on "American Religion, Humility and Democracy." The Immanent Frame.
Podcast Appearances
February 22, 2021 | "The Nostalgic Myths that Drive MAGA Nation with Dr. Ruth Braunstein ” Straight White American Jesus Podcast.
March 26, 2020 | “Connecting Religion and Money in History & Today,” Center for Theological Inquiry Podcast.
January 2, 2020 | “Prophets and Patriots,” Series on the Religious Left. Straight White American Jesus Podcast.
September 20, 2018 | Episode 16: Faith & Activism on the Political Divide, d'Archive on WHUS Radio, hosted by Graham Stinnett.
September 21, 2017 | Prophets and Patriots, New Books in Political Science Podcast, hosted by Heath Brown.
June 12, 2014 | ASR: The Role of Bridging Cultural Practices in Racially and Socioeconomically Diverse Civic Organizations, SAGE Sociology Podcast, with Brad R. Fulton
March 26, 2020 | “Connecting Religion and Money in History & Today,” Center for Theological Inquiry Podcast.
January 2, 2020 | “Prophets and Patriots,” Series on the Religious Left. Straight White American Jesus Podcast.
September 20, 2018 | Episode 16: Faith & Activism on the Political Divide, d'Archive on WHUS Radio, hosted by Graham Stinnett.
September 21, 2017 | Prophets and Patriots, New Books in Political Science Podcast, hosted by Heath Brown.
June 12, 2014 | ASR: The Role of Bridging Cultural Practices in Racially and Socioeconomically Diverse Civic Organizations, SAGE Sociology Podcast, with Brad R. Fulton
Previous Lectures and Public Talks
Photo courtesy of the Center for the Study of Religion & Society, University of Notre Dame
October 22, 2020 | "Religion and National Narratives on the Left and Right." Raced Religion and Social Solidarity in the United States. American Mosaic Project Mini-Conference, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
October 9, 2020 |"The Moral Meanings of Fiscal Earmarking: War Taxes, Patriotism, and Resistance." Yale Center for Cultural Sociology Workshop.
September 23, 2020 | "Moral Meanings of Fiscal Earmarking: War Taxes, Patriotism and Resistance." Crossroads of Religion and Politics Series. Princeton University Center for the Study of Religion.
July 31, 2020 | “Theorizing Political Backlash: The Effects of the Religious Right on the Religious Field.” “Does Religion Still Matter in the Age of Trump? A Mini-Conference on the Role of Religion in the Contemporary Social and Political Spheres.” The LeRoy Keller Center for the Study of the First Amendment, University of Colorado, Boulder.
April 1, 2020 | “Religious Freedom or Privilege? Taxpayer Conscience, Pacifists, and Pro-Lifers.” Princeton University Center for the Study of Religion, Religion and Public Life Workshop
March 9, 2020 | “Religious Freedom or Privilege? Taxpayer Conscience, Pacifists, and Pro-Lifers.” Villanova Political Theology Project, Spring 2020 Workshop Series
October 18-19, 2019 | “There Goes the Shirt Right Off My Back”: Taxes and the Meaning of Resentment,” The Culture and Politics of Resentment Workshop, Fung Global Fellows Program, Princeton University.
September 6, 2019 | “American Conservative Christians and Contested Political Community: From Religious Globalism to Christian Nationalism to Individualism,” Jim and Anna Davidson Symposium: American Christian Nationalism Through Both a Qualitative and Quantitative Lens, Purdue University Department of Sociology.
May 9, 2018 | The Moral Meaning of Taxes, Committee for the Study of Religion at the Graduate Center, CUNY.
April 20, 2018 | The Moral Meaning of Taxes, Cultural & Political Sociology Workshop, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
April 18, 2018 | Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy across the Political Divide, Sociology Department Colloquium, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
March 26, 2018 | Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy across the Political Divide, Sociology Colloquium Series, University of Notre Dame.
March 1, 2018 | Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy across the Political Divide, Outstanding Sociology Opportunity Speaker Series, Baylor University.
February 15, 2018 | Religion, Resistance, and Competing Stories of America in 2016 and Beyond, Media Activism Research Collective (MARC), University of Pennsylvania.
November 16, 2017 | Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy across the Political Divide, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m., Institute for the Study of Societal Issues (Sponsors: Center for Ethnographic Research, Center for Right-Wing Studies, Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion), University of California, Berkeley
October 9, 2020 |"The Moral Meanings of Fiscal Earmarking: War Taxes, Patriotism, and Resistance." Yale Center for Cultural Sociology Workshop.
September 23, 2020 | "Moral Meanings of Fiscal Earmarking: War Taxes, Patriotism and Resistance." Crossroads of Religion and Politics Series. Princeton University Center for the Study of Religion.
July 31, 2020 | “Theorizing Political Backlash: The Effects of the Religious Right on the Religious Field.” “Does Religion Still Matter in the Age of Trump? A Mini-Conference on the Role of Religion in the Contemporary Social and Political Spheres.” The LeRoy Keller Center for the Study of the First Amendment, University of Colorado, Boulder.
April 1, 2020 | “Religious Freedom or Privilege? Taxpayer Conscience, Pacifists, and Pro-Lifers.” Princeton University Center for the Study of Religion, Religion and Public Life Workshop
March 9, 2020 | “Religious Freedom or Privilege? Taxpayer Conscience, Pacifists, and Pro-Lifers.” Villanova Political Theology Project, Spring 2020 Workshop Series
October 18-19, 2019 | “There Goes the Shirt Right Off My Back”: Taxes and the Meaning of Resentment,” The Culture and Politics of Resentment Workshop, Fung Global Fellows Program, Princeton University.
September 6, 2019 | “American Conservative Christians and Contested Political Community: From Religious Globalism to Christian Nationalism to Individualism,” Jim and Anna Davidson Symposium: American Christian Nationalism Through Both a Qualitative and Quantitative Lens, Purdue University Department of Sociology.
May 9, 2018 | The Moral Meaning of Taxes, Committee for the Study of Religion at the Graduate Center, CUNY.
April 20, 2018 | The Moral Meaning of Taxes, Cultural & Political Sociology Workshop, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
April 18, 2018 | Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy across the Political Divide, Sociology Department Colloquium, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
March 26, 2018 | Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy across the Political Divide, Sociology Colloquium Series, University of Notre Dame.
March 1, 2018 | Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy across the Political Divide, Outstanding Sociology Opportunity Speaker Series, Baylor University.
February 15, 2018 | Religion, Resistance, and Competing Stories of America in 2016 and Beyond, Media Activism Research Collective (MARC), University of Pennsylvania.
November 16, 2017 | Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy across the Political Divide, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m., Institute for the Study of Societal Issues (Sponsors: Center for Ethnographic Research, Center for Right-Wing Studies, Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion), University of California, Berkeley
Author-Meets-Critics Session for Prophets and Patriots, SSSR 2017 (Pictured with Grace Yukich, Gary Adler and Rhys Williams)
November 5, 2017 | Author-Meets-Critics - Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy across the Political Divide, Social Science History Association Annual Meeting, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
October 14, 2017 | Author-Meets-Critics - Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy across the Political Divide, Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.
August 14, 2017 | “Imagining the Nation: Stories of National Belonging Across the Political Divide,” Chair’s Session: Nations, Nationalism, and National Belonging at the American Sociological Association (ASA) Annual Meeting, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
April 28, 2016 | “Putting Faith in Action in the Tea Party and Faith-Based Community Organizing” at the Religion and Politics in American Public Life Lecture Series, jointly sponsored by the Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life; the Department of Political Science; and the Department of Religion, Columbia University, New York, NY.
April 21, 2016 | “Religion, Nationalism and the Tea Party Movement,” at the UConn Center for Learning in Retirement (CLIR), Storrs, CT.
April 6, 2016 | “Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy Across the Political Divide” at the Storrs/Willimantic Branch of the AAUW, Willimantic, CT.
March 31, 2016 | “Making Sense of the Topsy-Turvy 2016 Presidential Race” (Panelist). University of Connecticut Alumni Association , Boston, MA.
February 12, 2016 | “Putting Faith (in Democracy) in Action in Tea Party and Faith-Based Community Organizing” at the Penn Urban Ethnography Workshop, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
December 2, 2015 | “Making Sense of the Topsy-Turvy 2016 Presidential Race” (Panelist). University of Connecticut Alumni Association, Hartford, CT.
November 16, 2015 | “Good Citizen / Bad Citizen: Civility Discourse as Boundary-Work” at the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute Public Discourse Project Seminar, Storrs, CT.
November 4, 2015 | “Religion, Nationalism, and the Tea Party Movement” at the Sociology Department Colloquium (Co-sponsored by the Government Department), Colby College, Waterville, ME.
October 9, 2015 | “Good Citizen / Bad Citizen: Civility Discourse as Boundary-Work” at the Center for Cultural Sociology Workshop, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
April 15, 2015 | “Prophets and Patriots: Practicing Citizenship Across the Political Divide” at the Joint Meeting of the Lower CT Valley and Shoreline Branches of the AAUW, Westbrook, CT.
March 24, 2014 | “Citizens, Government, and God: The Democratic Imagination in Community Organizing and the Tea Party” at the Religion & Politics Colloquium, The MacMillan Center Initiative on Religion, Politics and Society, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
April 2, 2013 | “Holding Government Accountable: How Cultural Logics Shape Democratic Practice in Community Organizing and the Tea Party” at Lehigh University’s Humanities Center Panel on Contemporary Political Movements: Decoding the Political Tides: The Tea Party & Occupy Wall Street, Bethlehem, PA.
December 7, 2011 | “Accountability is in Relationships,” at the Craft of Ethnography Workshop, New York, NY.
October 14, 2017 | Author-Meets-Critics - Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy across the Political Divide, Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.
August 14, 2017 | “Imagining the Nation: Stories of National Belonging Across the Political Divide,” Chair’s Session: Nations, Nationalism, and National Belonging at the American Sociological Association (ASA) Annual Meeting, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
April 28, 2016 | “Putting Faith in Action in the Tea Party and Faith-Based Community Organizing” at the Religion and Politics in American Public Life Lecture Series, jointly sponsored by the Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life; the Department of Political Science; and the Department of Religion, Columbia University, New York, NY.
April 21, 2016 | “Religion, Nationalism and the Tea Party Movement,” at the UConn Center for Learning in Retirement (CLIR), Storrs, CT.
April 6, 2016 | “Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy Across the Political Divide” at the Storrs/Willimantic Branch of the AAUW, Willimantic, CT.
March 31, 2016 | “Making Sense of the Topsy-Turvy 2016 Presidential Race” (Panelist). University of Connecticut Alumni Association , Boston, MA.
February 12, 2016 | “Putting Faith (in Democracy) in Action in Tea Party and Faith-Based Community Organizing” at the Penn Urban Ethnography Workshop, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
December 2, 2015 | “Making Sense of the Topsy-Turvy 2016 Presidential Race” (Panelist). University of Connecticut Alumni Association, Hartford, CT.
November 16, 2015 | “Good Citizen / Bad Citizen: Civility Discourse as Boundary-Work” at the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute Public Discourse Project Seminar, Storrs, CT.
November 4, 2015 | “Religion, Nationalism, and the Tea Party Movement” at the Sociology Department Colloquium (Co-sponsored by the Government Department), Colby College, Waterville, ME.
October 9, 2015 | “Good Citizen / Bad Citizen: Civility Discourse as Boundary-Work” at the Center for Cultural Sociology Workshop, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
April 15, 2015 | “Prophets and Patriots: Practicing Citizenship Across the Political Divide” at the Joint Meeting of the Lower CT Valley and Shoreline Branches of the AAUW, Westbrook, CT.
March 24, 2014 | “Citizens, Government, and God: The Democratic Imagination in Community Organizing and the Tea Party” at the Religion & Politics Colloquium, The MacMillan Center Initiative on Religion, Politics and Society, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
April 2, 2013 | “Holding Government Accountable: How Cultural Logics Shape Democratic Practice in Community Organizing and the Tea Party” at Lehigh University’s Humanities Center Panel on Contemporary Political Movements: Decoding the Political Tides: The Tea Party & Occupy Wall Street, Bethlehem, PA.
December 7, 2011 | “Accountability is in Relationships,” at the Craft of Ethnography Workshop, New York, NY.