EJ Dionne

Rethinking Religion and Politics

Washington Post columnist E.J Dionne discusses the role of faith in contemporary politics.

Washington Post columnist E.J Dionne, author of “Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics After the Religious Right,” discusses the role of faith in contemporary politics. Dionne addresses the appropriate use and manipulation of faith by average Americans and politicians. He argues that religious faith does not lead inevitably to conservative political conclusions and argues that the era of the religious right is over. He believes that both liberals and conservatives need to abandon their assumptions and stereotypes of religious Americans. In the question and answer period, he addresses how fundamentalists and evangelicals became associated with the Republican Party, faith and abortion, and spirituality.

Bio

E.J. Dionne Jr., is the author of “Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith & Politics after the Religious Right.” In his book, Dionne explores Christianity’s contributions to American politics and calls for a new bond between religious conservatives and liberals based on shared values. Dionne is a syndicated columnist for the Washington Post, a regular political analyst on National Public Radio, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a professor at Georgetown University. His is also author of the best-selling “Why Americans Hate Politics,” which won the Los Angeles Times book prize and was nominated for the National Book Award.