This edition of ReligionLink provides background on what Christian nationalism is, stories that show how it is influencing politics worldwide and experts to help reporters and readers better understand its heady mix of ideological politics and national identity.

Nilay Saiya is assistant professor of public policy and global affairs at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. His research concerns the influence of religion on global politics. He is author of the book Weapon of Peace: How Religious Liberty Combats Terrorism.

Carly Machado is a professor of anthropology at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ). With Patrícia Birman, she coordinates the Distúrbio-UERJ Research Group (Devices, Urban Plots, Orders and Resistances).

Knox Thames is a visiting expert at the U.S. Institute of Peace with the Middle East and Religion and Inclusive Societies teams. Thames joined USIP after 20 years of government service, including at the State Department and two different U.S. government foreign policy commissions. Thames served across two administrations as the special adviser for religious minorities in […]

Jenevieve Mannell is an associate professor in the University College London’s Institute for Global Health, specializing in the prevention of violence among women in places such as Afghanistan, India, Peru, Samoa and South Africa.

Lauren Turek is associate professor of history at Trinity University in San Antonio. Turek is a specialist in U.S. diplomatic history and American religious history and is the author of To Bring the Good News to All Nations: Evangelical Influence on Human Rights and U.S. Foreign Relations, which examines the growth and influence of Christian foreign policy […]

Marcus Coleman is director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The center serves as a clearinghouse for information, connecting with faith-based organizations to help overcome coordination challenges among faith-based organizations, emergency managers and other stakeholders engaging a broad cross-section of faith-based organizations in all stages of the disaster cycle.

Catherine Wanner is professor of history, anthropology and religious studies at Penn State’s School of International Affairs. Her research centers on the politics of religion, conflict mediation and human rights, especially in Ukraine, but more broadly in Eastern Europe.