On Wednesday, Feb. 12, Katherine Stewart, an author and investigative journalist, visited the Humanities Building to discuss her latest book, “Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy.” The event, titled “Religion and the State: Christian Nationalism and American Democracy Examining the Role of Religion in American Democracy,” aimed to discuss why many Americans, especially evangelical Christians, have turned against democracy. 

Michael Rubenstein, the director of the Humanities Institute at Stony Brook University and an associate professor in the Department of English, started the discussion by introducing Stewart. 

“[She is] one of the best journalists and writers tracking how we got into the worst political season in living memory and how we can get out of it,” Rubenstein said. 

Stewart, who has spent over 15 years researching the rise of the religious right as a political force, explained that Christian nationalism is not just a religious ideology, but also a political strategy aimed at reshaping American democracy. 

“The politics lead the religion in this movement, not the other way around,” she said. 

She identified five key factors driving the movement: wealthy funders, New Right intellectuals, pastor networks mobilizing congregations into political machines and national-level activists and foot soldiers, such as white evangelicals and militia groups. Stewart described how vast sums of money — sometimes from donors motivated by religious convictions and the desire to advance faith-based political goals, and other times from contributors primarily driven by political or financial interests — are funneled into the movement to erode public institutions.

A central theme in her book is the role that wealthy donors play in sustaining Christian nationalism. 

“Massive concentrations of wealth over the past five decades have fueled this movement. Some donors are evangelical, some Catholic, some Jewish and some simply believe in money and power,” Stewart said. These funders manipulate religious sentiment to advance financial interests, often advocating for minimal government intervention while benefiting from government contracts and subsidies.

Stewart also highlighted the movement’s concern with identity politics. 

“Christian nationalism is about who belongs in the country and who doesn’t, who’s pure and who’s impure,” Stewart said.“The movement claims that America was founded as an explicitly Christian nation and that our laws should reflect a reactionary reading of the Bible.” 

She warned that authoritarian leaders have historically aligned with reactionary religious figures to consolidate power, using righteousness to deflect scrutiny.

A major focus of her talk was the movement’s efforts to weaken public institutions, particularly education. 

“The war on public education has been about degrading public institutions for decades. They call public schools ‘government schools’ to foster mistrust and clear the way for diverting funds to religious and private schools,” Stewart said.

Veronica Peck, a first-year graduate student studying Contemporary Asian and Asian American Studies, attended the event after discovering it while searching for campus activities. Although she had not previously heard about Stewart’s work, Peck was intrigued by her discussion points relating to education. 

“Before starting grad[uate] school, I worked at a small community college upstate and saw firsthand the challenges in higher education. Many of the same issues Stewart discussed — literacy, funding, transportation — persist at all levels of education,” Peck said.

Stewart emphasized that the Christian nationalist movement is not just concerned with one particular election, but more so is an ongoing effort to reshape American democracy. 

“The movement consists of different interest groups with different aims, but they reinforce each other, rowing in the same direction,” Stewart said. “The movement thrives on fear. If you can make people afraid and separate them from facts, you can control them.”

Peck said Stewart’s talk challenged some of her assumptions about the roles of religious groups in public education debates. 

“I had a vague idea that religious groups were investing in efforts against public education, but I wasn’t super aware of the extent of it,” Peck said.  

She also resonated with Stewart’s call for unity among pro-democracy advocates.

“We need to push back against things, whether that’s when they make unconstitutional things or when they’re doing something against [diversity, equity and inclusion]. That does not mean you necessarily have to eliminate it from your school.”

After the event, Rubenstein emphasized the importance of continuing to host such discussions at the University.

“These events are incredibly crucial,” Rubenstein said. “[Our institute] serve[s] as a social hub for the humanities, a kind of open house showcasing our work for the broader community. Many of our events feature eminent scholars, journalists, novelists and other thinkers, while others spotlight the work of our colleagues across disciplines.”

To end her lecture, Stewart said that these types of discussions merely serve as a necessary reminder of the challenges facing American democracy. 

“We are truly at a point of crisis, and there are no guarantees. But if there is sufficient collective will to do it, and a commitment to pursuing strategic and meaningful avenues of action, it can be done,” Stewart said.