Religious Studies News communicates important events of the field and examines critical issues in education, pedagogy, research, publishing, and the public understanding of religion. Sometimes that involves sharing what others are writing about the field and these issues.
In Open Tabs, RSN editors will share the articles they’ve been reading and thinking about. If you have recommendations for articles, podcasts, or other media you’ve recently encountered that examine issues that fall under the purview of RSN, email us.
What We’re Reading
On Election night, the religious left is back
Published November 4, 2026 in Religion News Service
By Jack Jenkins
Excerpt:
Religion Scholars Wrestle with God’s Role in U.S. Politics
Published November 4, 2026 in Publishers Weekly
By Cathy Lynn Grossman
Excerpt:
“God and politics is always a topic when the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature gather thousands of scholars for their annual joint meeting November 21-24. This year, that’s magnified by the 2026 midterm elections, which saw the Democrats win back control of both the House and Senate.
[…]
Scholars of religion and the Bible, often career academics and their graduate students, have a lot on the line, Onishi told PW, citing Trump’s attacks on universities’ research, funding and admissions. ‘The demolition of higher ed goes hand-in-hand with creating what is no longer a free and liberal democracy. We want to be scholars whose work has an impact in the public square.’”
At least 7 Muslims win election to Congress, a record
Published November 4, 2026 in Religion News Service
By Ulaa Kuziez
Excerpt:
While Democrats swept races across the country, the election of these Muslim candidates came despite escalating anti-Muslim rhetoric and campaigns that targeted their faith. ‘At the beginning of the year, we were like, ‘How do we fight against the institutionalization of Islamophobia?’ And we knew that we could at the ballot box,’ said Mohamed Gula, CEO of Emgage, a Muslim civic engagement group. ‘We didn’t know that we would have the allies that we have. We didn’t know that we would have this sense of belonging.’”
Road To 2028: What The Midterms Reveal About The Faith Vote
Published November 5, 2026 in Religion Unplugged
By Clemente Lisi
Excerpt:
“Beyond the familiar story of political dissatisfaction, economic anxiety and voter backlash, this election revealed another important development: The growing influence of faith, religious identity and moral conviction in American political life. As both parties begin positioning themselves for the 2028 presidential election, faith could become one of the defining factors in determining which candidates connect with voters. However, the lesson from this year is that religious voters should no longer be viewed as a single political constituency, and Democrats may be discovering that faith can be an effective part of their political message as well.”
Catholics and ‘nones’ played key role in Democrats’ historic victory, exit polls show
Published November 5, 2026 in the National Catholic Reporter
By Kathryn Post
Excerpt:
“Exit polls showed nonreligious voters were instrumental in securing key Senate victories for Democrats whose faith was central to their campaign. CNN found that megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton lost both Protestants (37%) and Catholics (47%) in the Kansas Senate race, but he won support from 82% of religious nones. In Texas, James Talarico won the support of 58% of Catholics and 77% of nones. And in Michigan, CNN found that Democrat Abdul El-Sayed lost both Protestants (38%) and Catholics (41%) to Republican Mike Rogers, but won among nones (76%) and those of non-Christian faiths (68%). Statewide exit polls are based on a much smaller sample.”
For the first time, Jain American elected to Congress
Published November 5, 2026 in the Religion News Service
By Trisha Mukherjee
Excerpt:
“Dr. Amish Shah, a physician, Democrat and Arizona state legislator who said he was “promoting the Jain way of life” during his campaign, won Arizona’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday, becoming the first Jain American elected to Congress. In Florida, Democrat Pia Dandiya, a former high school principal whose parents are practicing Jains, won the 22nd Congressional District. Her campaign did not respond to questions about whether she practices the faith. Indian American Impact, a group backing South Asian candidates, counts both as Jain Americans.”
News Source
