Join us for an interdisciplinary conference examining how religion has shaped—and contested—the projection of U.S. power around the globe from the 19th century to the present.
The conference will take place on Friday and Saturday, April 8–9, 2022 at the McKenna Hall Conference Center on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. This event will take place in person.
Originally published at history.nd.edu.
Schedule of Events

Virtual Keynote (Friday, April 8, 4:00–5:00 pm, McKenna Hall 215)
Dr. Sophie Richardson, China Director at Human Rights Watch
Roundtables and Panels (In-Person)
ROUNDTABLE I: "WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, AND HOW?" RELIGION AND U.S. GLOBAL POWER (FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2:00–3:45 PM, MCKENNA HALL 215)
John McGreevy, University of Notre Dame (moderator)
David Campbell, University of Notre Dame
Emily Conroy-Krutz, Michigan State University
Timothy Matovina, University of Notre Dame
Anthony Siracusa, University of Colorado Boulder
ROUNDTABLE II: SOURCES, ARCHIVES, AND METHODS: UNCOVERING RELIGION IN UNEXPECTED PLACES (SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 9:00–10:30 AM, MCKENNA HALL 215)
Jaime Pensado, University of Notre Dame (moderator)
Melissa Borja, University of Michigan
Darren Dochuk, University of Notre Dame
Perin Gürel, University of Notre Dame
Gema Kloppe-Santamaría, Loyola University Chicago
John N. Low, The Ohio State University–Newark
PANEL 3A: COLD WAR CRUSADES: NEW DIRECTIONS (SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 10:45 AM–12:00 PM, MCKENNA HALL 216)
Lauren Turek, Trinity University (commentator)
Susanna De Stradis, University of Notre Dame
Lauren Hamblen, University of Notre Dame
Benjamin J. Young, University of Notre Dame
PANEL 3B: THE POLITICS OF MISSIONS: POWER, ENCOUNTERS, AND MEMORY (SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 10:45 AM–12:00 PM, MCKENNA HALL B001)
Heather Curtis, Tufts University (commentator)
Melissa Coles, University of Notre Dame
Hannah Peckham, University of Notre Dame
Ian Van Dyke, University of Notre Dame
ROUNDTABLE III: (HOW) DOES RELIGION REALLY MATTER? RELIGION, SECULARIZATION, AND GLOBAL POWER (SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2:00–3:30 PM, MCKENNA HALL 215)
Thomas Tweed, University of Notre Dame (moderator)
David P. King, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Karrie Koesel, University of Notre Dame
Mahan Mirza, University of Notre Dame
Kate Moran, St. Louis University
Atalia Omer, University of Notre Dame
Sponsors
- Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts, Henkels Lecture Fund
- Keough School of Global Affairs
- Department of History
- Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism
- Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies
- Department of Political Science
- Department of American Studies
- Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion