In America’s 250th year, religion — particularly Christianity — continues to influence political divides, ideologies, and debates over gender and sexuality. A leading historian of American religion, Dr. R. Marie Griffith joins Princeton Seminary’s Dr. Heath W. Carter for a discussion about how religious ideas become intertwined with questions of power, identity, and public life.

Griffith is Washington University’s John C. Danforth Distinguished Professor in the Humanities. She served for 12 years (2011-2023) as director of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics and editor of the center’s journal, Religion & Politics. Her research focuses on American Christianity, including the changing profile of American evangelicals and ongoing conflicts over gender, sexuality, and marriage.

Expanding the Table is a Princeton Theological Seminary podcast hosted by President Jonathan Lee Walton, PhD. The podcast gathers experts in health, politics, theology, and history to explore questions of faith, leadership, and justice.

#America250 #ReligionAndPolitics #GenderAndSexuality #AmericanChristianity #ChristianityAndPolitics #AmericanPolitics #PrincetonSeminary #ExpandingTheTable

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As America marks its 250th anniversary amid deep political polarization, an epidemic of loneliness, and constant technological distraction, what wisdom can Christianity offer for navigating these challenges? President of The Trinity Forum Cherie Harder joins Princeton Theological Seminary’s Dr. Heath W. Carter during this special-edition episode of Expanding the Table for a discussion about how Christianity’s values can offer timeless wisdom to today’s divisive and rapidly changing world.

Prior to joining the Trinity Forum in 2008, Harder served in the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Policy and Projects for First Lady Laura Bush and in several other advisory roles on Capitol Hill.

Expanding the Table is a Princeton Theological Seminary podcast hosted by President Jonathan Lee Walton, PhD. The podcast gathers experts in health, politics, theology, and history to explore questions of faith, leadership, and justice.

#America250 #PoliticalPolarization #Loneliness #ChristianityAndPolitics #AmericanPolitics #PrincetonSeminary #ExpandingTheTable

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How can Christianity shape the future of American democracy to create a more pluralistic, democratic society? Author Jonathan Rauch explores how the virtues of Christianity can be applied in a civic context alongside Princeton Theological Seminary’s Dr. Heath W. Carter, during this special-edition episode of Expanding the Table.

An award-winning author, journalist, and activist, Rauch is a senior fellow in the governance studies program at Brookings. He has authored nine books — including “Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy” — and many articles on policy, culture, and government. He is a contributing writer of The Atlantic and recipient of the 2005 National Magazine Award, the magazine industry’s equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize.

Expanding the Table is a Princeton Theological Seminary podcast hosted by President Jonathan Lee Walton, PhD. The podcast gathers experts in health, politics, theology, and history to explore questions of faith, leadership, and justice.

#America250 #ChristianityAndDemocracy #FaithAndDemocracy #ReligiousPluralism #AmericanPolitics #PrincetonSeminary #ExpandingTheTable

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Christianity and American democracy have a long, intertwined history that continues to shape U.S. politics today. In the 250th year of our nation, amid deep divisions and partisan politics, Princeton Seminary’s Dr. Heath W. Carter asks which version of Christianity will shape the future of democracy?

In this special-edition episode of Expanding the Table Carter joins President Walton for a wide-ranging discussion about religion and public life, the future of American democracy, and Christianity and nationalism.

Carter is Associate Professor of American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is the author of four books, and working on the forthcoming book “On Earth as it is in Heaven: Social Christians and the Fight to End American Inequality.” His insights and writing have been featured in a variety of publications, including The New York Times, The Atlantic, Newsweek, CNN, The New Republic, Mother Jones, Jacobin, The Christian Century, Sojourners, Christianity Today, and Religion News Service.

Expanding the Table is a Princeton Theological Seminary podcast hosted by President Jonathan Lee Walton, PhD. The podcast gathers experts in health, politics, theology, and history to explore questions of faith, leadership, and justice.

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As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, what can history teach us about today’s American political landscape and the deep divisions the country faces today? Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Harvard Law professor Annette Gordon-Reed joins Princeton Theological Seminary’s Dr. Heath W. Carter for this special-edition episode of Expanding the Table to discuss how history shapes current society, viewpoints, and democracy.

Gordon-Reed is the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard. Known for her groundbreaking work on the life of Thomas Jefferson, she is the author of eight books, including “The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family,” “On Juneteenth,” and her most recent book, “Jefferson on Race: A Reader.” Gordon-Reed has won 16 book prizes, including the Pulitzer Prize in History in 2009 and the National Book Award in 2008.

Expanding the Table is a Princeton Theological Seminary podcast hosted by President Jonathan Lee Walton, PhD. The podcast gathers experts in health, politics, theology, and history to explore questions of faith, leadership, and justice.

#America250 #AmericanHistory #AmericanPolitics #Democracy #ThomasJefferson #USHistory #PrincetonSeminary #ExpandingTheTable

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Christian spiritual formation and teen faith development are critical topics for churches, youth ministers, and parents seeking meaningful ways to engage young people in the life of the church.

President Walton and Dr. Almeda Wright, professor of religious education at Yale Divinity School, explore how mentorship and apprenticeship in the church can support Christian spiritual formation and faith development among teens in this episode of Expanding the Table. The conversation also examines how Christian formation can help young adults grow spiritually while remaining open, intellectually curious,and respectful toward people of other faiths.

Wright specializes in the intersection of African American religion, education, and the spiritual lives of teenagers and young adults. She is the author of “Teaching to Live: Black Religion, Activist-Educators, and Radical Social Change” and “The Spiritual Lives of Young African Americans.” At Yale Divinity School, Wright currently directs the research initiative Communitas, which focuses on young adult spirituality and innovation, and is the co-director for the Conectere initiative to support parents and caregivers in encouraging the faith development of their children.

#ChristianFormation #SpiritualFormation #YouthMinistry #TeenFaith #FaithDevelopment #BlackChurch #ReligiousEducation #Princeton Seminary #ExpandingtheTable

Expanding the Table is a Princeton Theological Seminary podcast hosted by President Jonathan Lee Walton, PhD. The podcast gathers experts in health, politics, theology, and history to explore questions of faith, leadership, and justice.

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How can healthcare providers better support patients’ religious beliefs, faith traditions, and spiritual needs? The Rev. Dr. Suzanne Watts Henderson, MDiv ’90, senior director of faith and health for Interfaith America, joins President Walton to explore how understanding religious diversity in healthcare can improve patient well-being and health outcomes in this episode of Expanding the Table.

Many physicians and healthcare professionals receive little training in addressing spirituality, religion, and faith in patient care, even though these factors often influence medical decisions, coping strategies, and healing.

Watts Henderson leads Interfaith America’s growing exploration of the intersection of faith and health with the goal of engaging religious diversity to strengthen health across the nation. She is an ordained Disciples minister and New Testament scholar, who previously served as a professor of religion and dean of the chapel at Queens University of Charlotte.

#ReligionAndHealthcare #FaithAndHealth #SpiritualityInHealthcare #ReligiousDiversity #SpiritualCare #PrincetonSeminary #ExpandingtheTable

Expanding the Table is a Princeton Theological Seminary podcast hosted by President Jonathan Lee Walton, PhD. The podcast gathers experts in health, politics, theology, and history to explore questions of faith, leadership, and justice.

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How do faith, religion, and spirituality affect mental and physical health? Dr. Howard K. Koh, Harvard University professor and former U.S. assistant secretary for health, joins President Walton to discuss the powerful connection between spirituality and overall well-being in this episode of Expanding the Table.

Together they explore how faith and health intersect, why spirituality matters for public health, and the relationship between religion, wellness, and purpose.

Koh is the Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. He also serves as the inaugural chair of Harvard’s Initiative on Health and Homelessness and co-director of the Initiative on Health, Spirituality and Religion. Koh served as the 14th assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 2009-14, after his appointment as the commissioner of public health for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

#FaithAndHealth #Spirituality #ReligionAndHealth #MentalHealth #Wellness #PublicHealth #PrincetonSeminary #ExpandingtheTable

Expanding the Table is a Princeton Theological Seminary podcast hosted by President Jonathan Lee Walton, PhD. The podcast gathers experts in health, politics, theology, and history to explore questions of faith, leadership, and justice.

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