A few weeks ago I spoke with professors John Inazu and Mark Valeri to discuss some aspects of the 2020 election. Both professors brought up topics unrelated to the election, like religion in academia, that I found fascinating. The following Q&A is a combination of our first and second talks, shortened and edited for clarity.

As America watches attack ad wars and campus political groups gear up for the Nov. 2 midterm elections, the Danforth Center on Religion and Politics gave its first public event—a keynote address on religion and politics by Jon Meacham.