A joint event with the Freundeskreis Köln-Indianapolis e.V.
The Religious Right in the United States -
History, Influence and Current Developments
Talk & Discussion with
Annika Brockschmidt, Journalist and Author of Amerikas Gotteskrieger
Prof. Andrew Whitehead, Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at IUPUI
About the lecture: The Religious Right has become a powerful political force in the United States. Not only is it poised to, once again, play a critical role in the upcoming presidential elections, it also has a strong influence on debates around such controversial issues as abortion, racial justice and immigration. Understanding the current cultural and political climate in the US thus requires taking the Religious Right into consideration. Annika Brockschmidt and Andrew Whitehead will shed light on the roots of this multilayered movement, its political agenda and its effects on both American democracy and the Church. In conversation with Arnd Henze, they will also illustrate that the influence of the Religious Right is not limited to the US.
Annika Brockschmidt is the author of the bestselling book America's Religious Warriors: How the Religious Right Is Threatening Democracy (Amerikas Gotteskrieger: Wie die Religiöse Rechte die Demokratie gefährdet). As a freelance journalist, she has worked for the ZDF Berlin Bureau and produced several podcasts, including the award-winning show "Science Pie". She has also written for Tagesspiegel, ZEIT Online and ZEIT Geschichte, among others, and has appeared on Markus Lanz' TV show. Brockschmidt studied History, German Studies and War and Conflict Studies in Heidelberg, Durham and Potsdam.
Andrew Whitehead is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Association of Religion Data Archives at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Whitehead is one of the foremost scholars of Christian nationalism in the United States. He is the lead author of Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States, which won the 2021 Distinguished Book Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. His newest book, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church, was published this August.
The WDR journalist and author Arnd Henze will moderate the discussion. Henze studied Theology in Göttingen, Heidelberg and Berkeley. His book Kann Kirche Demokratie? was published in 2019.
The event will be held in English.
Please register via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/the-religious-right-in-the-united-states-tickets-717002031377
