Eckerd hosts scholars to dissect the link between faith and state power

Eckerd College hosted a panel discussion on Tuesday featuring two outside academics who examined the relationship between religion, politics, and public life in the United States. The event was organized by McCrary, who brought in Elizabeth Shakman Hurd from Northwestern University and Tazeen Ali from Washington University in St. Louis to lead the conversation on campus.

The discussion began with Hurd, a professor of political science and religious studies at Northwestern, outlining her research on how borders function as both political and religious objects. Her recent book, "Heaven Has a Wall: Religion, Borders, and the Global United States," argues that Americans often treat national security as a sacred concept that sits above the law.

"What I’m going to suggest is that the divisions between the religious and the political are not as clear as we often treat them, and that this matters," Hurd told the audience. She explained that national security compels participation in a way similar to political or religious affiliation. Citing scholar Kathryn Lofton, Hurd noted 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, spoke next. Her current work focuses on how television constructs images of Islam, specifically regarding gender and racism in Anglo-American contexts. She is working on a book tentatively titled "Muslims on Screen: Racism and Sexuality in Anglo-American Islam."

Ali used the recent Michigan Senate race to illustrate her points, referencing Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed. When asked to disavow the Muslim Brotherhood, El-Sayed responded, "I’m not running to be a Muslim senator. I’m running for U.S. Senate and happen to be Muslim." Ali argued that this exchange reveals the shifting position of Muslims in American public life and suggested that television developments offer new ways to understand this visibility in electoral politics.

Chaplain and Director of the Center for Spiritual Life Robert Galloway moderated the session, posing questions to the scholars alongside the audience. Two Eckerd students shared their reactions after the talk. Lexi Davis, a junior religious studies major from Mountain View, California, said she is now questioning the predetermined definitions of religion and looking for hidden ties between faith 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 intertwining of religion and government. "We like to say that religion and government are separate, but they are so intertwined," Fernald said. McCrary concluded by encouraging students to look for religious ideas across the political spectrum, noting their presence 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," McCrary said. "And I would like people to start looking for it and stop missing it."