Historian studying religion, media, politics and culture. Reposts are fodder for debate only, not personal endorsements. Opinions are my own. New book: Christian America and the Kingdom of God https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p088414https://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mukqg7evtk2pOne more good news for the day: A heartwarming story about love developing after loss wapo.st/4y7FbpU https://wapo.st/4y7FbpU02 Sep 2026 20:08 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukqg7evtk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mukp3gfvmk2jThis @washingtonpost.com piece about a California mom refilling the commissary accounts so children at Dilley can eat Ramen or just have a candy car for their birthday really captures what goodness looks like in the face of evil wapo.st/4xutdGV https://wapo.st/4xutdGV02 Sep 2026 19:44 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukp3gfvmk2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mukoebsjqc23The LA Times newsletter today has a delightful, solutions-focused feature about seniors renting out spare rooms to young people. Both get companionship and a financial boost from sharing the cost of housing. Tell me more @grace2e.bsky.social https://www.latimes.com/california/newsletter/2026-09-02/facing-californias-housing-crisis-seniors-are-finding-young-roommates-companionship02 Sep 2026 19:31 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukoebsjqc23https://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mu6bijf4t223I wrote the cover essay for Sojourner's this month, on media literacy and how to seek truth in age of outrage. I share tips on how to consume the news without letting it consume you and how to build relationships across news divides in this polarized time: https://sojo.net/magazine/september-october-2026/consuming-news-without-letting-it-consume-you [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Aug 2026 21:09 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu6bijf4t223https://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3muflc4zbmc2yNew roundtable in Historiography in Mass Communication on "Presidents and the Press." Jon Marshall at Northwestern, Diane Winston at USC and Thomas Mascaro at Bowling Green share their research into how presidents have used the press history-jmc.com http://history-jmc.com31 Aug 2026 18:53 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3muflc4zbmc2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mufjf3rx622y@rns.org has a great tracker of all the lawsuits religious organizations have filed against the second Trump administration over immigration concerns https://religionnews.com/2026/08/27/religion-immigration-litigation-tracker/?utm_source=RNS+Updates&utm_campaign=6ddecd0a98-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_08_28_01_22&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c5356cb657-6ddecd0a98-12857182831 Aug 2026 18:19 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufjf3rx622yhttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mu6bijf4t223I wrote the cover essay for Sojourner's this month, on media literacy and how to seek truth in age of outrage. I share tips on how to consume the news without letting it consume you and how to build relationships across news divides in this polarized time: https://sojo.net/magazine/september-october-2026/consuming-news-without-letting-it-consume-you [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Aug 2026 21:09 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu6bijf4t223https://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mu4k4xlhfk23Grateful for this research, that shows the contradictions within Christian nationalist thought, and asks a key question: How do we reduce the fear and call people toward their better angels? https://theconversation.com/christian-nationalists-professed-support-for-religious-pluralism-is-often-drowned-out-by-perceptions-that-christians-are-under-threat-28746628 Aug 2026 04:38 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu4k4xlhfk23https://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mrv43osyv22kFascinating @rns.org piece looking at the many varied religious arguments against data centers, from avoiding the apocalypse to protecting environmental resources in protection of human life https://religionnews.com/2026/07/29/a-deal-with-the-devil-religion-motivates-data-center-opponents-in-texas/30 Jul 2026 18:48 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrv43osyv22khttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mrlkfzhk6c2cGreat narrative piece exploring one professor's lonely battle for free speech https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/07/26/west-point-professors-lawsuit-tests-militarys-tolerance-internal-criticism/26 Jul 2026 23:37 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrlkfzhk6c2chttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mrbp35vv622zI appreciate the nuance Ryan Burge brings to his analysis, that the alliance between Christianity & Trump has drawn some people closer to evangelicalism while pushing others away. https://religionnews.com/2026/07/20/half-of-gen-z-says-trump-support-keeps-them-out-of-church/?utm_source=RNS+Updates&utm_campaign=46be888385-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_07_21_02_37&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c5356cb657-46be888385-38750736823 Jul 2026 01:34 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrbp35vv622zhttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mr7m6kqaw22hThis is such a fun feature story but with a major unanswered question: How does he afford so many books? Clearly I should have become a translator: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/style/too-many-books-new-york-city-apartment-scholar-landlord.html?unlocked_article_code=1.zlA.EU2E.wIWRNLLwXaam&smid=url-share22 Jul 2026 05:37 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr7m6kqaw22hhttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mqflqmp3bs2kReally enjoyed Jason Blakely and David Albertson's Commonwealth piece looking to Thomas More for how all Christians can recover true faith after MAGA https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/injury-destiny?utm_source=Main+Reader+List&utm_campaign=535ba0ddbc-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_03_16_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_407bf353a2-535ba0ddbc-9124986111 Jul 2026 21:20 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqflqmp3bs2khttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mqavd6oouc2wThis is a must read article. Atlantic author Stephanie McCrummen features a couple in Tennessee who launched a spiritual warfare campaign against a local bookstore they believe is controlled by the demon Lilith, and looked at how that campaign impacted and dehumanized the bookstore's owner. [contains quote post or other embedded content]10 Jul 2026 00:28 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqavd6oouc2whttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mpr6i3ujgc2kYes, Tyndale is a crucial figure, not just because Puritans read his Bible translation, but because they embedded his ideas of biblical chosenness into their vision for a Christian commonwealth. Nations that obeyed God were blessed, nations that disobeyed were cursed https://religionnews.com/2026/07/02/the-man-america-forgot-to-invite-to-its-250th-birthday-party/ https://religionnews.com/2026/07/02/the-man-america-forgot-to-invite-to-its-250th-birthday-party/?utm_source=RNS+Updates&utm_campaign=295db722b0-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_07_03_03_31&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c5356cb657-295db722b0-12857182803 Jul 2026 18:29 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpr6i3ujgc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mpp6u4chbk2nAs Americans celebrate 250 years of our grand experiment, it's worth reading up on the history. My work with Richard Hughes considers the promises and perils of the Protestant influence on the nation in conversation with the biblical text @illinoispress.bsky.social #America250UIP #ReadUP02 Jul 2026 23:31 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpp6u4chbk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mpokwlqgjc2nGreat story by @jackjenkins.me "How Matthew 25 became a political litmus test." Matthew 25 was the critical verse for late 19th century social gospellers, who, as early Christian nationalists, applied it to individuals AND the nation https://religionnews.com/2026/07/01/in-congress-a-growing-divide-over-matthew-25/02 Jul 2026 17:34 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpokwlqgjc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mpok2jymi22nImportant overview here of the work of Trump's Religious Liberty Commission: https://religionnews.com/2026/06/30/trumps-religious-liberty-commission-publishes-draft-report-detailing-christian-persecution/02 Jul 2026 17:18 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpok2jymi22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mphl5meojc2cTaped this Emerge Collaborative podcast last summer, but I think the advice for emerging college student remains strong. So grateful to Falon Barton and Rachel Collins for the invite. https://youtu.be/tQyCE3QeVWE?si=fO2nTMelPt_fa1b029 Jun 2026 22:49 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mphl5meojc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mp7n3335rs2rThis is a beautifully told feature about seeking joy and loving life even in the midst of great pain. It's a must read: wapo.st/4oLe5kQ https://wapo.st/4oLe5kQ26 Jun 2026 19:03 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp7n3335rs2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mor3jpfuxk2aI love history that peels back the layers and resists simplistic narratives. It reminds me that humans are complicated, messy, sinful, exceptional creatures, capable of both good and evil. Great snapshots here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/20/us/america-250-historical-figures.html21 Jun 2026 00:11 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mor3jpfuxk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3monxmhyp7s2lImportant o-ed: 161 years after Juneteenth, there is unfinished work of freedom https://religionnews.com/2026/06/18/161-years-after-juneteenth-there-is-unfinished-work-of-freedom/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email19 Jun 2026 18:23 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3monxmhyp7s2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3molk53spns2pLast Thursday, I was the keynoter at a conference on Chosen Nations in Budapest, jointly sponsored by the University of Jewish Studies and the Ludovika University for Public Service. I spoke about the promises and perils of the myth of Chosennness in its impact on the transatlantic social gospel. https://or-zse.hu/kivalasztott-nepek-konferencia/18 Jun 2026 19:17 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3molk53spns2phttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mnkrlkpfv22q@ruthgraham.bsky.social with a fascinating look at how Pentecostals are wrestling with how to theologically interpret extraterrestrial life https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/31/us/ufo-files-pentagon.html?unlocked_article_code=1.n1A.cUtN.I5GDw2yEZRz6&smid=bs-share05 Jun 2026 18:32 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnkrlkpfv22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mmzp53ytak26My co-author Richard Hughes has an editorial in Sojourners as part of their edition on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence https://sojo.net/magazine/june-2026/face-death-live-humanly29 May 2026 23:33 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmzp53ytak26https://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mmwj5bspjs2wGreat @rns.org story about the power of worship music for political activism https://religionnews.com/2026/05/27/how-worship-music-became-the-soundtrack-of-todays-political-right/?utm_source=RNS+Updates&utm_campaign=ffbfc0eaaa-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_05_28_12_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c5356cb657-ffbfc0eaaa-12857182828 May 2026 17:08 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmwj5bspjs2whttps://bsky.app/profile/clittlefield.bsky.social/post/3mmf2jelrks2eStrong, thorough profile here of a major evangelical influencer https://religionnews.com/2026/05/20/can-virality-create-revival-gen-z-evangelist-bryce-crawford-has-faith/?utm_source=RNS+Updates&utm_campaign=1a8fcab518-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_05_21_03_26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c5356cb657-1a8fcab518-12857182821 May 2026 18:31 +0000at://did:plc:lwtgr5sdsrsyuehzost2sysb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmf2jelrks2e