Scholars Argue Religion and Politics Are Inseparable in American Life

Two university scholars told a campus audience in Florida that the line between faith and governance is thinner than most people assume.

Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, a professor of political science and religious studies at Northwestern University, opened the session by challenging standard definitions. She argued that the separation between the religious and the political is often treated as distinct when it is actually blurred. This distinction, she noted, matters for how Americans understand their own civic duties. Hurd, whose book "Heaven Has a Wall: Religion, Borders, and the Global United States" examines borders as both political and religious objects, used national security as a primary example. She suggested that Americans treat security as sacred, placing it above legal reach. Citing religion scholar Kathryn Lofton, Hurd explained that religion is not just a group one joins but a force that can ensnare individuals. "Like both politics and religion, national security draws you into something bigger," Hurd said. "You’re compelled to participate."

Tazeen Ali, an assistant professor of religion and politics at Washington University in St. Louis, followed with her own perspective. Her research focuses on how television constructs Islam and how the medium influences public perception. Ali is currently working on a book tentatively titled "Muslims on Screen: Racism and Sexuality in Anglo-American Islam." She referenced recent political events to frame her concepts. Specifically, she pointed to Abdul El-Sayed, the Michigan Democratic Senate candidate. El-Sayed responded to a public question about disavowing the Muslim Brotherhood by stating, "I’m not running to be a Muslim senator. I’m running for U.S. Senate and happen to be Muslim." Ali used this quote to illustrate the shifting position of Muslims in American public life. She encouraged the audience to consider how television developments help explain the growing visibility of Muslims in electoral politics.

The event, hosted by McCrary, featured questions from Chaplain and Director of the Center for Spiritual Life Robert Galloway and the student audience. McCrary emphasized his goal of helping students develop new lenses for viewing religious ideas in politics. He noted that religious concepts appear across the political spectrum, from Christian nationalists on the right to a seminarian hoping to flip a Texas Senate seat blue. "If you don’t really know what you’re looking for, you’ll miss it. And I would like people to start looking for it and stop missing it," McCrary said.

Students attending the panel took away specific observations about their own assumptions. Lexi Davis, a junior religious studies and humanities major from Mountain View, California, said she is now questioning the predetermined definition of religion in her mind. She is also considering hidden ties between religion and culture. "If we can discern these tiny bits of religion in everyday American culture, what will that tell us about America?" Davis asked. Jasmine Fernald, a junior anthropology major from New Carlisle, Indiana, focused on the need to recognize her own point of view. She noted that people often know less than they think. "We like to say that religion and government are separate, but they are so intertwined," Fernald said.