Elizabeth Shakman Hurd

To determine what counts as religion is an act of power and sovereignty. This project looks at the entanglements of religion and politics through four case studies in which the religion/not religion border is central to US domestic and foreign policy. As with other borders, there are important consequences that follow from how the religion/not religion border is drawn, who defines it, and who is viewed as on one side or the other. This “prism of the border” gives us insight into challenges involving religion, race, immigration, indigeneity, and US power. Bringing this research to a wide array of public audiences, the project establishes channels of communication and collaboration with journalists and policy practitioners. Project findings will be disseminated through academic and public writing, lecturing, and interviews, among other forms of media engagement.