Ruth Braunstein studies religion, politics, and money. She is a sociologist at Johns Hopkins University’s SNF Agora Institute, and was previously at the University of Connecticut.

She also leads the Meanings of Democracy Lab, which explores the moral and cultural foundations of American democracy.

She’s the host of When The Wolves Came: Evangelicals Resisting Extremism, a documentary podcast spotlighting evangelical leaders who are resisting political extremism in their church and the country.

Her new book, My Tax Dollars: The Morality of Taxpaying in America, delves into how paying taxes became a moral battleground in public life. She is also the author of Prophets and Patriots: Faith in Democracy Across the Political Divide and co-editor of Religion and Progressive Activism: New Stories About Faith and Politics.

Dr. Braunstein’s award-winning research has appeared in top scholarly journals and been featured in major media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Time Magazine. She also writes op-eds for publications including The Guardian, Religion News Service and The Conversation, and her weekly Substack, Democracy Is Hard.