Gottschalk Discusses Religious Intolerance

On C-SPAN, Professor of Religion Peter Gottschalk discusses the history of religious intolerance in America, arguing that it’s been a strong – even violent – force in U.S. society and politics since the middle of the 19th century.

Gottschalk’s new book American Heretics: Catholics, Jews, Muslims and the History of Religious Intolerance asserts that many religious groups have been persecuted throughout our nation’s history, sometimes by the very government that is charged with protecting them.

Gottschalk spoke with Washington Post religion reporter Michelle Boorstein on C-SPAN’s After Words program, which will be re-aired on Jan. 5. His work has been published in The Post’s On Faith blog, and he was the co-author of Islamophobia: Making Muslims the Enemy.