As my two-year contract with the Congregations and Polarization project at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture ends, I’m grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to such meaningful work.
By Dr. Tim Orr
As my two-year contract with the Congregations and Polarization Project at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture ends, I’m grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to such meaningful work. Serving as a contractor on this project has been an incredibly enriching experience, especially as I gained deeper insight into how polarization impacts pastoral leadership and congregational identity. I saw firsthand how theological commitments intersect with political loyalties and how churches wrestle with maintaining unity amid cultural division, both intellectually and personally. It has deepened my understanding of how American congregations are navigating an increasingly polarized cultural moment, and it’s allowed me to engage with some of the leading scholars and practitioners in the field. What began as a part-time contract became a space of deep learning and growth, and I’m thankful for every conversation, insight, and collaboration along the way.
As I reflect on this journey, I want to take a moment to highlight a few people whose presence and contributions helped solidify this experience for me. Their influence not only shaped the project but also shaped me, and for that, I’m deeply grateful.
Art Farnsley, the project director, and I have been friends since 2008, when I assumed his former position teaching religious studies at Indiana University–Purdue University Columbus. At that time, Art had recently transitioned to IU Indianapolis, where he now serves as a Research Professor and Senior Research Associate at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture. Over the years, he has emerged as a leading voice in public scholarship on American religion, focusing on the intersection of civic life, media, and religious practice.
Our friendship has developed over many lunches and conversations over the years. I often say that meeting with Art is like getting another degree. He has a gift for distilling complex ideas into accessible, real-world insight. Through him, I’ve learned so much about religious studies—not just facts but frameworks for thinking that have shaped how I approach my research and ministry.
Art invited me to join the Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations: Innovation Amidst and Beyond COVID-19 project as a part-time Research Associate, led by Hartford International University. This opportunity not only introduced me to large-scale qualitative research but also honed my skills in listening deeply to congregational narratives and identifying patterns of adaptive leadership. These skills proved invaluable as I transitioned into the Congregations and Polarization project, where understanding congregational resilience and division required analytical precision and pastoral empathy. When that project concluded, Art asked me to continue in the same capacity for the Center’s Congregations and Polarization project.
I’m incredibly grateful for Art as a colleague and a true friend. His generosity, insight, and encouragement have opened doors in my life that I wouldn’t have walked through otherwise. Working with him has been one of the most enriching parts of my journey in religious scholarship and public theology.
Since 2000, Dr. Philip Goff has served as executive director of the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture. One specific project that deeply impacted me was the Center’s biennial conferences on American religion, which under Goff’s leadership consistently featured interdisciplinary panels that brought together historians, sociologists, and religious practitioners. Attending those conferences expanded my scholarly lens and gave me tools to think more holistically about the religious dynamics shaping congregational life today. Beginning in 2008, I’ve been involved with the Center, which exposed me to some of the finest scholarship on American religion. Starting in 2008, I’ve been connected with the center informally, which exposed me to some of the finest scholarship on American religion. This experience introduced me to influential evangelical thinkers such as Mark Noll, George Marsden, and Nathan Hatch—scholars whose work has profoundly shaped my understanding of American Christianity.
I’ve been deeply impressed by how his leadership has shaped it into one of the premier institutions for exploring the role of religion in American life. He didn’t just maintain what was already there; he expanded the Center’s influence and sharpened its mission. Under his direction, the Center has secured over $13 million in external funding, a testament to his ability to cast vision and the credibility he brings to the work.
However, what stands out to me more than the funding is the collaborative spirit Goff has cultivated. The Center has become a true interdisciplinary space, where historians, sociologists, theologians, and scholars from various disciplines come together to ask deeper questions about how religion functions in American culture. That kind of cross-pollination doesn’t happen by accident. It takes leadership that values academic rigor and human connection, and Goff has modeled both exceptionally well.
I admire how he’s made the Center a scholarly think tank and a space for public conversation. It’s not just about publishing articles or hosting conferences—it’s about helping people make sense of religion’s real-world impact, past and present. Goff’s leadership has given the Center a steady direction, a strong voice, and a lasting impact on the broader conversation about faith and public life in America.
I’ve also had the chance to connect a few times with two other scholars at the Center whose work has deeply influenced me, even though I don’t know them as well personally. One is Dr. Joseph Tucker Edmonds, whose scholarship on the Black Church helped me better understand its theological depth and cultural significance. In just a few brief conversations, I gleaned insights that have shaped how I think about race, faith, and community, especially how the Black Church has historically held together justice and spiritual vitality in ways that continue to challenge and inspire.
The other is Dr. Andrew Whitehead, who is widely recognized as one of the leading experts on Christian nationalism. His research clarifies a topic that’s often misunderstood—such as how Christian nationalism operates less as a theological doctrine and more as a cultural identity marker that fuses religious rhetoric with political ideology What I appreciate about Andrew’s work is not just its academic rigor but its relevance for anyone trying to navigate the complicated relationship between faith and politics in contemporary America. His ability to communicate his findings clearly and compellingly has impacted how I think about cultural engagement and the church's public witness.
Though our interactions have been brief, I’ve walked away from each encouraged and sharpened. It’s a reminder that sometimes a short conversation with a thoughtful scholar can shift your whole perspective—and that’s exactly what the Center fosters: meaningful encounters that deepen your understanding and strengthen your calling.
I worked alongside a remarkable team of scholars and practitioners as part of the Congregations and Polarization project at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture. Each brought a unique perspective and area of expertise, yet we were united by a shared commitment to understanding how congregations respond to the pressures of political and cultural division with intellectual rigor and pastoral care. This made it a deeply enriching experience for me professionally and personally.
Abbey Chambers was the Project Manager, and her leadership was steady and insightful. With a background in community-based qualitative research, Abbey brought a strong grounding in how economic policies and practices impact local communities. Before this project, she was a researcher with the Religion and Urban Culture 2.0 initiative, and her experience working directly with congregations made her a vital asset to the team.
Dr. Jason Lantzer, Assistant Director of the Butler University Honors Program, contributed as both a scholar and a storyteller. Trained as a historian, Jason has written extensively on the intersections of religion, politics, and law—but what I found especially engaging was his range. He’s authored eight books, including Dwight Eisenhower & the Holocaust (DeGruyter, 2023), and even explored the religious and cultural themes within Disney’s influence. His historical lens brought helpful context to our analysis of congregational life today.
Dr. Libby Manning also served on the team, bringing theological depth and pastoral sensitivity to the work. She’s ordained in Word and Sacrament ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and serves as Director of the Wabash Pastoral Leadership Program at Wabash College. Her insights helped bridge the gap between academic reflection and pastors' lived experience, particularly in polarized contexts.
I also enjoyed working with fellow research associates Lauren Palmer and Tabatha Barbour. Their studies—Lauren’s focus on Catholicism and Tabatha’s on the Black Church—were especially informative. They brought nuance and care to their work, which added richness to our group discussions and deepened the project's overall impact.
Being part of a team that modeled intellectual excellence and mutual respect was an honor. The conversations we shared, the insights we uncovered, and the stories we heard from congregations across the country have left a lasting mark on me. This wasn’t just a research assignment—it was a learning community that shaped my thinking and recalibrated the trajectory of my future work. The depth of collaboration, the theological diversity, and the pastoral sensitivity I encountered here have all reaffirmed my desire to pursue research that bridges the academy and the church, work grounded in intellectual rigor and relational wisdom.
As I step away from this chapter, I carry forward not only the knowledge gained but also the relationships that made this work meaningful. The insights I’ve drawn from this project will shape the way I teach, write, and engage with congregations for years to come. I remain grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such timely and important work, and I leave this season with renewed vision, deeper friendships, and an abiding sense of purpose.
Tim serves full-time with Crescent Project as the assistant director of the internship program and area coordinator, where he is also deeply involved in outreach across the UK. A scholar of Islam, Evangelical minister, conference speaker, and interfaith consultant, Tim brings over 30 years of experience in cross-cultural ministry. He holds six academic degrees, including a Doctor of Ministry from Liberty University and a Master’s in Islamic Studies from the Islamic College in London.
In addition to his ministry work, Tim is a research associate with the Congregations and Polarization Project at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University Indianapolis. His research interests include Islamic antisemitism, American Evangelicalism, and Islamic feminism. He has spoken at leading universities and mosques throughout the UK—including Oxford University, Imperial College London, and the University of Tehran—and has published widely in peer-reviewed Islamic academic journals. Tim is also the author of four books.