Faith, Culture, and Identity in America

What does it really mean to be an “evangelical” in America? Join us for a lively conversation with two historians of American religion: Dr. Aaron Griffith (Duke University) and Dr. Michael Utzinger (H-SC), as we take this question seriously, exploring how the term has been defined, contested, and lived out across American religious history. Dr. Griffith will kick us off with a 20 minute talk, followed by conversation. The dialogue will explore not just where the word comes from, but why it matters—for the church, for public life, and for anyone trying to understand their own religious identity in a moment when labels carry more weight than ever. Moderated by Dr. Michael Weaver, director of the Schaeffer Center.

Aaron Griffith is a historian of American Christianity who teaches at Duke Divinity School. His work focuses on evangelicalism, religion and American politics, and religion and criminal justice. His first book, God's Law and Order: The Politics of Punishment in Evangelical America, was published in 2020 by Harvard University Press and won the 2022 "Best Book in History & Biography" award from Christianity Today. He is currently at work on a book on the religious history of American policing.