Religion Against Democracy with Katherine Stewart

In this episode, we welcome back journalist and author Katherine Stewart, whose work has become a trusted guide for us as we continue to think about the intersection of politics, religion, and public life. Over the years, we’ve often found ourselves returning to her writing and asking, “What would Katherine say about this?” especially as stories emerge around Christian nationalism and the erosion of democratic norms.

As the pace of the news accelerates, Katherine helps us slow down and look beneath the headlines. She reflects on how economic inequality, disinformation, and anti-democratic movements reinforce one another, and on the ways certain forms of religion are being distorted to justify exclusion, hierarchy, and control. Together, we explore how language around religious freedom and moral certainty can mask deeper concentrations of power.

Katherine reminds us that hope exists and of our responsibility in this moment. She speaks to the importance of attention, organization, and moral clarity, particularly within faith communities; naming the growing presence of religious leaders and institutions who are resisting these distortions and reclaiming faith as a force for dignity, equality, and the common good. As always, her voice invites us not only to understand what is happening, but to consider how we might respond with courage, honesty, and care.

Resources referenced in this episode:

“They’re doing to America what they did to Christianity”, The Guardian, November 23,2025

Jesus and the Disinherited, Howard Thurman (1945)

Djesus Uncrossed, SNL, 2013