Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Evangelicalism, History, and What Comes Next (Episode 12)

In the finale of Season One, John Fea, Dan Hummel, and Maggie Capra step out of their usual narrative format to reflect directly on the series and on the state of the field they study. They open by sharing what listener feedback has taught them about the value of a historian's “dispassionate” approach to a subject most people experience personally rather than academically.From there, the conversation turns to future casting — always, they admit, a risky exercise for historians. The hosts trace the demographic rise of religious “nones” and “nonverts,” debate whether “evangelical” and “evangelicalism” remain useful words, and revisit the Bebbington Quadrilateral, Timothy Smith's kaleidoscope theory, and the historiographical legacy of David Bebbington, George Marsden, Joel Carpenter, and Mark Noll.The back half of the episode moves through evangelicals and political power, the rise of dominionism and reconstructionist thought, the uncertain future of Christian higher education, and the migration of evangelical debate onto podcasts, Substack, and YouTube. They close with a shared case for why a historical — rather than theological or political — lens on evangelicalism still matters, closing out the season with thanks to listeners and a tribute to historian Gordon Wood, who died the week of recording.PEOPLE & BOOKS MENTIONEDStephen Bullivant, Nonverts: The Making of Ex-Christian America (Oxford University Press, 2022)Molly Worthen, Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism (Oxford University Press, 2013)Mark Noll, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind (Eerdmans, 1994)A.J.A. Woods, The Cultural Marxism Conspiracy: Why the Right Blames the Frankfurt School for the Decline of the West (Verso, 2026)Henry F. May, “The Recovery of American Religious History,” American Historical Review 70 (October 1964)David Bebbington — historian; the “Bebbington Quadrilateral” framework for defining evangelicalismGeorge Marsden and Joel Carpenter — historians discussed their role in establishing evangelicalism as a coherent historiographical categoryNathan Hatch — historian referenced on the “democratization” of American ChristianityTimothy L. Smith — historian referenced for his “kaleidoscope theory” of evangelicalismVincent Bacote — theologian, Wheaton College, cited as an example of evangelical political-theology scholarship; the hosts recall him as a guest earlier in the season (Episode 4)R.J. Rushdoony — referenced in the discussion of Christian reconstructionismPaul Weyrich — referenced as a Christian-right organizer connected to the New Congress FoundationLyndon LaRouche — referenced in the discussion of the “cultural Marxism” conspiracy theory's originsTim Mackie — co-founder of The Bible Project, referenced on patron-funded models of Christian contentGavin Ortlund — pastor and YouTube creator, cited as an example of digital-first evangelical ministryGordon Wood — historian of the American Revolution, was remembered by the hosts following his death at 92 in June 2026🔗 LINK to our button formhttps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AmerEvanPodButtonsSend us Fan MailHosts:JOHN FEA - Visiting Fellow in History, Lumen Center; Distinguished Professor of History, Messiah UniversityMAGGIE CAPRA - Visiting Instructor in American History, Beloit CollegeDAN HUMMEL - Director of the Lumen Center; Honorary Research Fellow, University of Wisconsin-MadisonThis podcast is brought to you by the Lumen Center and STUDIO, both initiatives of the SL Brown Foundation. Find out more about our work:slbf.org/lumen-centerslbf.org/studioProduced by Daniel Johnson and Dave ConourEdited by Dave Conour