The Politics of Christianity in America, Documenting the Refugee Crisis

The Politics of Christianity in America Guest: Matthew Bowman, PhD, Professor of History at Henderson State University, author of "Christian: The Politics of a Word in America" White evangelical support for President Donald Trump is at an all-time high, according to a new survey by the Public Religion Research Institute: 75-percent hold a favorable view of the president. On the other hand, 23 prominent Christian leaders, including an Episcopal Bishop, a Catholic priest and author, and a well-known evangelical commentator, recently published a letter rejecting policies central to the Trump administration – including “America First” - as “theological heresy for followers of Christ.” So, being a good Christian either means supporting or opposing Trump. How did Christianity become so politically divided? Matthew Bowman explains in his new book, “Christian: The Politics of a Word in America.”  For Global Refugees, The Crisis Continues (Originally aired: Jan. 19th, 2018) Guests: James Bluemel, Award-winning Director of "Exodus: Our Journey to Europe" and "Exodus: The Journey Continues" on PBS Frontline; Hassan Akkad, Syrian Refugee featured in "Exodus: Our Journey to Europe," Researcher on "Exodus: The Journey Continues" The Frontline documentary “Exodus: Our Journey to Europe" included cell phone video taken by refugees to give us an intimate look at their efforts to reach safety. The film (watch online here) won a Peabody award, a BAFTA (the British equivalent of an Emmy) and an International Emmy Award. Now director James Bluemel is back with a sequel, "Exodus: The Journey Continues" (watch online here) that follows-up with some of the refugees we met in the first film and introduces us to others.