Episode 15: Part 1 — Race, Class, and Religion in America: Spanning the Divides

In this episode, we continue our discussion of the powerful role that religious faith can play in healing cultural and political divisions. Host Matt Levinger speaks with Professor Hahrie Han of Johns Hopkins University about her book Undivided: The Quest for Racial Solidarity in an American Church. Drawing on her research into a racial justice initiative at Cincinnati’s Crossroads Church, Han explores how people can build relationships across racial and political differences and develop the trust needed for difficult conversations. The leaders of Crossroads, the third largest Evangelical megachurch in the United States, start from the principle that “belonging comes before belief.” The episode examines how empathetic listening in small-group settings can help cultivate lasting friendships that enable people to take risks, work through disagreement, and stay engaged in the difficult work of creating change. But bringing people together does not mean avoiding conflict. In our next episode, Han explores what happens when that work meets resistance and backlash.Dr. Hahrie Han is the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University. She served from 2019 to 2026 as the inaugural director of the SNF Agora Institute, where she directs the P3 Lab. She is also a 2025 MacArthur Fellow.Host: Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast & Nonresident Scholar at the George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs.Guest: Prof. Hahrie Han – Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, former inaugural director of the SNF Agora Institute, and a 2025 MacArthur Fellow.Explore more of Prof. Hahrie Han’s work:https://politicalscience.jhu.edu/directory/hahrie-han/https://www.hahriehan.comLearn more about the SNF Agora Institute and P3 Lab:https://snfagora.jhu.edu/https://snfagora.jhu.edu/our-work/labs/p3-lab/Visit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation:americaswhyproject.comListen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon MusicThe views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America’s Why Project team or the George Washington University.