Right now, many of us may feel as though religion is shaping American politics and culture at near-unprecedented levels; we wait with bated breath to discover how those in power might use religion as a cover for racist acts and attacks on civil liberties.

Below are four articles published in January of 2023 that give us a clue as to what shape the interplay of religion, power, and race might take nationally and worldwide in the coming year.

1) How Students Could Give Ron DeSantis an African American History Lesson
Andre Henry
Religious News Service
After Florida governor DeSantis banned an AP high school course in African American studies, Black religious leaders and historians took the reins of educating state residents on the “people’s history.” Henry expands this movement by suggesting it is the actions of the students themselves that will keep Black history alive.

2) As a Religious Studies Professor I Disagreed with the Hamline Firing – But Now I’ve Changed My Mind 
Kate Blanchard
Religion Dispatches
Hamline University recently fired a professor for showing their students a devotional image of the Prophet Muhammad. Blanchard writes why she initially felt outrage, which then turned into agreement with Hamline’s president’s decision.

3) The Latest Crusade to Place Religion Over the Rest of Civil Society
Linda Greenhouse
New York Times
Greenhouse considers how the Supreme Court might be heading toward amending Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which would allow employees to claim time off for religious observance. This might be yet another in a series of Supreme Court decisions that privileges “religious claims above all others.”

4) American Religion is Not Dead Yet
Wendy Cadge and Elan Babchuck
The Atlantic
Cadge and Babchuck dismantle the notion that dwindling church attendance means the “elimination” of religion in America. Instead, they write, spiritual practice has migrated toward more creative spaces that we must consider if we are to understand the place religion occupies in the United States and the power it holds.

Cameron Andersen is the Revealer’s editorial assistant. She is currently pursuing a dual degree with the NYU Religious Studies M.A. program and the Long Island University Library Sciences archival program.