Evangelicalism, Christian Nationalism, and Faith in Public Life
October 26-November 23, 2025
9:30 a.m. | Assembly Room
From revival fires to culture wars, evangelical Christianity has shaped American life in profound and often contradictory ways.
In this five-week series, historian Heath Carter will guide us through key moments in this story, exploring how evangelical faith inspired movements for justice while also fueling exclusion and division. Together we’ll ask: what lessons can we learn from this history, and what does faithful Christian witness look like today?
The series concludes with Lauren Herb Davis, who will help us think about how to have respectful, honest conversations across political and theological divides.
Audio recordings will be posted below each class description.
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Series Speakers:
Associate Professor of American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary, Heath writes and teaches on the intersections of Christianity, politics, and social movements. He is the author of Union Made: Working People and the Rise of Social Christianity in Chicago and co-editor of several volumes on Christianity and U.S. democracy.
Lauren recently taught systemic thinking in public policy at Princeton University and has worked with the RAND Corporation. Raised Presbyterian in Georgia and educated at a conservative Southern Baptist college, she brings a lifetime of experience navigating faith and politically sensitive conversations. Her work focuses on strengthening support systems in the U.S., and she is passionate about bridging divides through faith and policy.October 26 | Heath Carter
The Christianity of this Land and the Christianity of Christ
Evangelical revivals in the early U.S. promised heartfelt faith and sweeping social reform, yet also became entangled in white supremacy and division. What kind of Christianity took root in this land, and how does it still shape us today?
Readings:
Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave — Appendix, pp. 118–123
Jarena Lee, The Life and Religious Experience of Jarena Lee — “My Call to Preach,” pp. 12–15
Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address
November 2 | Heath Carter
Social Gospels and Smaller Tents
In the early 20th century, many evangelicals championed a broad vision of reform, while others narrowed the faith into a smaller tent of like-minded believers. What can we learn from these competing visions of community and transformation?
Readings:
Walter Rauschenbusch, Christianizing the Social Order — pp. 1–29
J. Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism — pp. 11–18
Clips from Billy Graham’s 1949 Los Angeles Revival (YouTube)
November 9 | Heath Carter
The Year(s) of the Evangelical
In the late 20th century, evangelicals emerged as a powerful cultural and political force. From pop culture to presidential politics, their influence was undeniable. How did this movement gain such prominence — and at what cost?
Readings:
Tom Skinner, Racism and World Evangelism
Carman, “The Champion” (music video)
Jerry Falwell, Goals of the Moral Majority
Ronald Reagan, “Evil Empire” Speech (1983 to NAE)
Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins, Left Behind — Chapter 1
Daniel Silliman, Died: Beverly LaHaye
Rachel Held Evans, What Evangelical Does (and Doesn’t) Mean to Me
November 16 | Heath Carter
In the Ashes of Evangelical Empires
Today, evangelicals face deep reckonings with their past and present role in American democracy. Where do we find ourselves now, and what might faithful Christian engagement look like in the years ahead?
Readings:
Langston Hughes, Let America Be America Again
Heath W. Carter, A World That Might Yet Be
Hanna Reichel, For a Time Such as This: An Emergency Devotional — pp. 55–59, 75–78, 93–96
November 23 | Lauren Herb Davis
Conversations that Bridge Divides
The call to follow Christ includes engaging one another with honesty, respect, and courage. In our final session, Lauren Herb Davis will help us explore how to have difficult but faithful conversations that bridge divides in our church and society.