Kristin Kobes
Du Mez, Ph.D.

Historian / Writer / Speaker

Professor of History, Calvin University
Senior Democracy Fellow, Public Religion Research Institute

Writing and In-the-Media

Latest Books

Featured In-the-Media

University of Notre Dame, Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, “Seminar in American Religion,” October 9, 2021 university of notre dame golden dome behind vivid green grass and treesFeaturedIn the MediaTalks & Lectures

University of Notre Dame, Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, “Seminar in American Religion,” October 9, 2021

At the fall 2021 Seminar in American Religion, Kristin Kobes Du Mez (Calvin University) will discuss her book Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation (Liveright, 2020).  Commentators for this seminar are Emily Remus (University of Notre Dame) and Matthew Avery…
Kristin Kobes Du Mez
October 9, 2021
Interview: The NPR Politics Podcast, “For White Evangelicals, The Identity is About More Than Religious Faith,” with Danielle Kurtzleben NPR Politics Podcast LogoFeaturedIn the Media

Interview: The NPR Politics Podcast, “For White Evangelicals, The Identity is About More Than Religious Faith,” with Danielle Kurtzleben

In the latest installment of the Politics Podcast book club, NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben interviews Calvin University historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez about Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. For the complete episode…
Kristin Kobes Du Mez
October 2, 2021
Washington Post, “How a book about evangelicals, Trump and militant masculinity became a surprise bestseller,” by Sarah Pulliam Bailey image of logo of the washington postFeaturedIn the Media

Washington Post, “How a book about evangelicals, Trump and militant masculinity became a surprise bestseller,” by Sarah Pulliam Bailey

Excerpts: When historian Kristin Du Mez’s latest book, “Jesus and John Wayne,” came out in the summer of 2020, it received little attention from mainstream gatekeepers and reviewers. But the book, which explores evangelical fondness for former president Donald Trump…
Kristin Kobes Du Mez
July 16, 2021
Braveheart’s Warped History Keeps Suckering Evangelicals logo of the daily beast on black backgroundArticles & Essays (Select)Featured

Braveheart’s Warped History Keeps Suckering Evangelicals

The Daily Beast. June 20, 2021. https://www.thedailybeast.com/bravehearts-warped-history-has-been-suckering-evangelicals-for-a-quarter-century Mel Gibson’s sadomasochistic fantasy is beloved by evangelical Christians (and William Wallace wannabes like Ted Cruz), who wallow in its exaltation of violent, macho religion.
Kristin Kobes Du Mez
June 20, 2021
NBCNews.com. Op Ed. Trump pick Amy Coney Barrett’s Christian ‘Handmaid’ History Matters nbc news logo on black backgroundArticles & Essays (Select)FeaturedIn the Media

NBCNews.com. Op Ed. Trump pick Amy Coney Barrett’s Christian ‘Handmaid’ History Matters

Excerpts: Given this polarized context, it’s no surprise that leading Democrats have signaled a reticence to confront Barrett on the issue of her faith. Yet the precise nature of her beliefs, how those beliefs shape her judicial philosophy and how they align…
Kristin Kobes Du Mez
October 10, 2020
Interview: NPR, Morning Edition, “Book, ‘Jesus And John Wayne,’ Explores What It Means To Be A Christian Man,” with Steve Inskeep npr logo (medium)FeaturedIn the Media

Interview: NPR, Morning Edition, “Book, ‘Jesus And John Wayne,’ Explores What It Means To Be A Christian Man,” with Steve Inskeep

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to history professor Kristin Kobes Du Mez about her new book: Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. Screencapture of Interview by Steve Inskeep, NPR News. Morning Edition. June 23,…
Kristin Kobes Du Mez
June 23, 2020
If You Want to Understand White Evangelicals, Tour a Hobby Lobby Store logo of the daily beast on black backgroundArticles & Essays (Select)FeaturedIn the Media

If You Want to Understand White Evangelicals, Tour a Hobby Lobby Store

The Daily Beast. Opinions. June 21, 2020. https://www.thedailybeast.com/if-you-want-to-understand-white-evangelicals-tour-a-hobby-lobby-store Screencapture of Daily Beast. Images/Kristin Kobes Du Mez Excerpt: Scenes of President Donald Trump proclaiming himself the “president of law and order,” urging the deployment of the military to “dominate the streets,” and then…
Kristin Kobes Du Mez
June 21, 2020