Book Launch: The Political Theologies of Populism by Rev. Colin Bossen

Book Launch | The Political Theologies of Populism: The Garveyites, the Klan, and the Wobblies, 1905–1930 by Rev. Colin Bossen
Conversation followed by Reception & Book signing
Pay What You Can $0-25 | In-person with chair seating

Join us for a timely excavation of populist movements in the US and their associated religious tropes, with author Rev. Colin Bossen in conversation with Rothko Chapel President Imam Abdullah Antepli. As the Rothko Chapel celebrates its 55th anniversary, the United States marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, beginning our nation’s experiment in realizing an imperfect, and sometimes failed, democracy—governance by the people, for the people. As we strive for a multicultural, pluralistic democracy, we offer programs that nurture creative and moral leadership, interfaith solidarity, and spiritual resilience.

About the book
In The Political Theologies of Populism, Bossen argues that for over a century, American populist movements—even explicitly secular ones—have drawn on religious ideas and practices to infuse their politics and bring people together. Bossen explores Pan-African populism, white supremacist populism, and early twentieth-century pluralistic populism in the United States that coalesced into well-known, vastly different groups with a lasting presence in the American imagination: the Universal Negro Improvement Association (also known as the Garveyites), the Ku Klux Klan, and the Industrial Workers of the World (also known as the Wobblies). This book employs both historical analysis and political theory to unpack the trajectory of these groups and to illustrate how their respective search for belonging showcases as similar principles, despite their extremely different beliefs. This is a finding that, Bossen argues, exemplifies the mechanisms behind twenty-first-century politics, including the rise of Trumpism. This groundbreaking comparative analysis challenges readers to consider the repetition of history in today's political landscape and shows them how to rise to the challenges of our current political moment.

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Host or Publisher Rothko Chapel