Historical Evidence and Public Debate: Kristin Kobes Du Mez

Ever since the publication of her New York Times bestselling book, Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation (2020), Kristin Kobes Du Mez has been in the middle of intense public debates about faith, nationalism, and gender in American Evangelicalism. In our conversation, Kristin shares some of the story behind that story, reflecting on the role that historical research plays in public life — as well as the choices, controversies, and hopes that continue to shape her vocational journey. She also reflects on her calling as professor of history and gender studies at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.