Here at Faith in the Numbers, we’re excited to welcome an influx of new contributions from some of the country’s leading scholars on religion and politics. Today, PRRI launched its inaugural Affiliated Scholars program, which weaves a close relationship between the PRRI team and a small group of scholars, in an effort to make more insights on the intersection of religion and politics available for public consumption. The scholars will contribute regularly to Faith in the Numbers, and we’re pleased as punch to host their scholarly insights.
You can learn more about the Affiliated Scholars program and read the Scholars’ full bios here. But here’s a taste of who you’ll be hearing from over the coming months:
Melissa Deckman is the Louis L. Goldstein Professor of Public Affairs and chairs the Political Science Department at Washington College in Chestertown, MD. She has a forthcoming edited volume about the politics of teaching the Bible and religion in public schools, slated for publication this fall. Her current research focuses on the nexus between gender and religion in the Tea Party movement.
Paul Djupe is an associate professor of political science at Denison University. His work explores the influence of political communication from religious actors and how religious organizations affect the political engagement of citizens.
Kerem Ozan Kalkan will be joining the Department of Political Science at Stony Brook University as a Visiting Assistant Professor starting September 2012. His research interests include American politics, public opinion, political behavior, religion and politics, prejudice, Muslim Americans, and quantitative research methods. He is working on a book project that studies ethnocentric roots of prejudice toward Muslims in the U.S. and Europe.
Laura R. Olson is professor of political science at Clemson University and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Her research focuses on contemporary religion, civic engagement, and American politics, with special emphasis on the political attitudes and behaviors of clergy.
Mark J. Rozell is professor of public policy at George Mason University. He is the author of nine books and the editor of twenty books on various topics in U.S. government and politics including the presidency, religion and politics, media and politics, and interest groups in elections.