Misusing the Bible: White Evangelicalism and Christian Nationalism in America
Mon 4/28/2025 • 2PM - 5PM PDT
Royce Hall, Room 306
White Evangelicalism and Christian Nationalism has occupied an increasingly prominent position since—and in many ways before—the first Trump administration. Events such as January 6 and the second Trump presidency have highlighted the entanglement of politics and religious belief that is central to Christian Nationalism. This symposium brings together several scholars to discuss various aspects of white Evangelicalism and Christian Nationalism, particularly as they connect to modern and contemporary American politics. The symposium serves as a forum for investigating topics such as tolerance and religious pluralism, the use of anti-abortion protests, and the intersection of race and Christian Nationalism. Further, the symposium opens a discussion on how Evangelicalism and Christian Nationalism use and misuse biblical and historical material to bolster their narratives.
2–2:10: Welcome – Carol Bakhos, Chair, Study of Religion
2:10-2:30: Introduction and Opening Remarks by Gina Konstantopoulos, Symposium Moderator – “Evangelizing Antiquity: The Museum of the Bible and the Appropriation of the Past”
2:30-3:00 Sophie Bjork-James – “To Be Pro-life in an Age of Extinction: Abortion, Christian Nationalism, and Ecological Denial”
3:00-3:20: Break
3:20-3:50: Brooklyn Walker – “Counterpoint in the Heavenly Choir: Christian Nationalism, Anti-Christian Nationalism, and the Multivocality of American Christianity”
3:50-4:20: Michael R. Fisher, Jr. – “Race, Politics, and Christian Nationalism in the Second Era of Trump”
4:20-5: Discussion and Q&A