This is thinking in public, a program dedicated to intelligent conversation about

front-line theological and cultural issues with the people who are shaping them.

I'm Albert Mueller, your host and president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

Joshua Mitchell's professor of political theory at Georgetown University. He's also served as

Chairman of the Department there. He earned his PhD in Political Science in the

University of Chicago. His scholarly career centered on issues of political theory and the intersection

between politics and theology, particularly in the United States.

Professor Mitchell is the author of numerous academic articles and books. His most

recent book is American Awakening, identity politics, and

other afflictions of our time. That's the topic of our conversation today.

Professor Mitchell, welcome to thinking in public. Thank you very much for having me.

You know, it is a fascinating book and there are a lot of books out right now in the public conversation about identity politics.

I appreciate the fact I think you get to the deepest level of any of them and indeed as a theologian I want to say it's it's rare to find someone who's a professor of government and political science who actually is

Theologically Minded and unaware so I appreciate that but let me just ask you that that first title question as we get started

Why is the title of your book American awakening?

Well, there's a double meaning here. We've had a number of American awakenings in our history and my view is we have

we're witnessing another one though it's a profoundly distorted one. There are many ways to think about the

Wakenings, but minimally they are attempts to work through the problem of

transgression and stain longing for redemption. And I think we were involved in a similar moment right now in American history.

Everywhere you look people are trying to establish what's pure, what's impure, who's pure and who's stained.

The difference this time around is that it is an American awakening without God and

without forgiveness.

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