Joseph Winters is the Alexander F. Hehmeyer Associate Professor of Religious Studies and African and African American Studies at Duke University. His research interests lie at the intersection of African-American religious thought, Black literature and critical theory. Winters is author of Hope Draped in Black: Race, Melancholy, and the Agony of Progress (2016).

Elizabeth McAlister is a professor at Wesleyan University with expertise in Afro-Caribbean religions including Haitian Vodou, Pentecostalism, race theory, transnational migration and evangelical spiritual warfare.

Michael Muhammad Knight is a scholar, author and gonzo journalist whose work covers Islamic studies, American Islam, hadith literature, gender studies, race and theories of the body.

Matthew J. Cressler is a scholar, comics creator and teacher whose work focuses on religion, race and justice. He is also chief of staff for the Corporation for Public Interest Technology. He is the author of Authentically Black and Truly Catholic: The Rise of Black Catholicism in the Great Migration (NYU Press, 2017).

Adelle M. Banks is the projects editor and a national reporter for RNS, covering topics including religion and race, the faith of African Americans and partnerships between government and religious groups. An award-winning journalist, Banks joined RNS in 1995. She previously was the religion reporter at the Orlando Sentinel and a reporter at The Providence […]

In this guide, we offer background, resources, expert sources and related content to help you better report on the religious life of Black Americans.

Coverage of what has been called “Christian nationalism” has become ubiquitous. So ubiquitous, in fact, that some commentators in the United States have warned Christian nationalism is a democracy demolisher. Others, however, have raised concerns that coverage of Christian nationalism is “overhyped” and the concept poorly defined. In this ReligionLink Reporting Guide, we take a […]

Miranda Cruz is a professor of theology at Indiana Wesleyan University, with a focus on the practical application of Christian doctrine in life and ministry. She is also the author of Faithful Politics: Ten Approaches to Christian Citizenship and Why It Matters.

Ronilso Pacheco is a theologian interested in democracy, race, fundamentalism, and extremism. He is the author of the books Teologia Negra (Black Theology) and Occupy, Resist, and Subvert. He is a frequent contributor to various media outlets in Brazil.