Study Day 2026: "One Nation under God"
Catholic Theology Study Day
by Sebastian Hanstein
Entitled “One Nation Under God: U.S. Catholicism Between the Pope, Politics, and Populism,” this year’s study day of the Department of Catholic Theology took place on June 23, 2026. It was planned and organized by Prof. Dr. Hans-Ulrich Weidemann, PD Dr. Sebastian Hanstein, and Dr. Anna Karger-Kroll. The event focused on the question of what role Catholicism plays in political and social debates in the United States.
Prof. Dr. Benjamin Dahlke (KU Eichstätt) opened the seminar with a lecture on the relationship between U.S. Catholicism and politics. In his presentation, he traced, among other things, the historically difficult relationship between Catholics and Protestants in the early days of the United States and highlighted how the significance of Catholicism has grown over time—not least due to demographic developments such as the increasing presence of a predominantly Catholic Latino population. At the same time, it became clear that Catholicism is more visible in the political mainstream today than it was in the past, partly because key political figures are Catholic. In his response, Prof. Dr. Daniel Stein, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Siegen, contextualized the developments discussed from an American studies perspective and drew connections to popular culture—from anti-Catholic caricatures of the 19th century to current media portrayals in which religion and politics appear closely intertwined. The ensuing discussion provided an opportunity to further explore the religious, cultural, and political dimensions of the topic.
In the afternoon, the focus shifted to a joint reading of excerpts from the voting guidelines of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Subsequently, individual aspects were explored in greater depth in three workshops: Prof. Dr. Benjamin Dahlke addressed J. D. Vance and his political-religious self-interpretation; Dr. Anna Karger-Kroll examined the pro-life movement and its political profile; and PD Dr. Sebastian Hanstein explored liturgy, habitus, and Catholic countercultures in the U.S.
The well-attended study day brought together students, faculty, and other interested parties and opened up diverse theological, historical, and cultural perspectives on a highly topical subject area. Afterward, everyone was invited to the students’ summer party, where there was an opportunity for further discussion.
