Money, Power, and Belief : Santa Barbara Literary Festival

The Santa Barbara Literary Festival presents a timely and incisive conversation between Katherine Stewart, author of Money, Lies, and God, and Jane Borden, author of Cults Like Us, moderated by women’s historian Lorissa Rinehart.

In this wide-ranging discussion, Stewart and Borden will examine how money, ideology, and belief systems shape American politics, culture, and identity. Drawing on investigative reporting, cultural criticism, and sharp wit, they will explore the rise of modern movements that blur the lines between faith, power, persuasion, and belonging—and why these dynamics are so influential in moments of social uncertainty.

The conversation will delve into how charismatic leadership, misinformation, and institutional authority take hold, what makes communities vulnerable to manipulation, and how democratic norms are tested when belief systems become political tools. Together, these authors illuminate the forces that quietly shape public life and challenge us to think critically about who benefits—and who pays the price.

Set at the CEC Hub, this event invites engaged readers, civic-minded audiences, and curious thinkers to grapple with urgent questions at the intersection of democracy, culture, and belief.

The Santa Barbara Literary Festival fosters community through ideas. This conversation brings two essential voices together to help us better understand the stories we are being told—and the power behind them.

Katherine Stewart has chronicled the rise of the anti-democratic movement for over 16 years. Her latest book, Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy (Bloomsbury, 2025), is an instant New York Times bestseller. She is also the author of The Power Worshippers (2020), winner of multiple awards and basis of the documentary God & Country. Stewart’s reporting and analysis appear widely, including in The New York Times and The New Republic.

Jane Borden is an author, culture journalist, and editor. A regular contributor to Vanity Fair, she has also written for the New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, and The Washington Post, among other outlets.

Her book Cults Like US: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America (One Signal Publishers, 2025) was longlisted for a Carnegie Medal and named a Best Book of 2025 by Amazon. She is also the author of I Totally Meant to Do That (Crown), a humorous memoir.

Moderated by is a women’s historian, author, and public speaker whose work explores the intersections of women’s history, politics, war, and peace.

The Santa Barbara Literary Festival brings together readers and writers of every genre for a two day celebration of storytelling and inspiration. Engaging panels, enlightening workshops, pop-up events, and welcoming social gatherings, bring together established authors, emerging writers, and passionate readers in a uniquely intimate setting that fosters community centered around a shared love of the literary arts.

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