The Institute for Religion, Politics & Culture
Research, public education, and action.
Shaping social action through research, education & content creation at the intersection of religion, politics & culture.
The Institute for Religion, Politics & Culture (IRPC) is a resource to the media and local community for responding and proactively speaking to religion and politics. IRPC is a self-sustaining part of the Iliff School of Theology and a vital resource for faculty and students.
Our Why
Religious Frameworks shape cultural understanding of pivotal political issues. Too often, public work at the intersection of religion and politics lacks depth, historical analysis, philosophical clarity, and non-partisan integrity. Leaders often navigate complex moral and ethical policy issues without adequate tools and resources, or space for nuanced discernment. Progressive movements are stuck in a rut without an understanding of how religion shapes political motivation and passion.
90% Of people in the United States consider themselves as religious in some way according to Pew Research Religion shapes our politics in ways that are obvious (think “In God we trust”on our money, or prayers before legislative meetings), and ways that are hidden below the surface (such as core sets of values like “Protestant work ethic” or “family values”.)
These are not simply words – rather these ideas impact all of us– benefiting some and harming others. When it comes down to it we cannot separate our understandings of religion (or God) from our other values, thoughts, and opinions. As a person approaches a political candidate or ballot topic, their support (or lack thereof) is based on those understandings. This is the case for Evangelicals, Buddhists, Atheists, and the ‘Nones.’ This is the case for all of us.
VISION
Dominant narratives of public religion & politics expand inclusion and imagination. Public leaders have tools to understand religion in politics and effectively shape inclusive and justice-oriented policy. IRPC is a resource to the media and local community for responding and proactively speaking to religion and politics. IRPC is a self-sustaining part of the Iliff School of Theology and a vital resource for faculty and students.
Leading Transformative Action
We educate change makers to become more effective in leading transformative action.
We help people understand how religion and politics intersect — within our national identity and structures and our individual ideologies and beliefs.
We work with a variety of change makers:
- Political leaders
- Cities, Counties, and School Boards
- Media
- Advocates and activists
- Religious leaders
- Students
Meet the Team
Rev. Dr. Amanda Henderson
Director of the Institute for Religion, Politics & Culture
Rev. Dr. Amanda Henderson is the Director of the Institute for Religion, Politics, and Culture at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 2021, the Institute performs research on the ways religious histories inform political perspectives and shares that information to educate public leaders for transformative action.
Before launching the Institute, Amanda served seven years as Executive Director of The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, bringing people from different religious traditions together for political action. Amanda is ordained with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), author of Holy Chaos, Creating Connections in Divisive Times, and writes, teaches, and speaks publicly on religion and politics.
Amanda is also a Mom to three young adults, enjoys adventures with her husband, and finds joy in running, being outside, and growing things: dogs, chickens, gardens, and creative projects of all kinds.
Josh Perez
Creative Lead
Josh is a creative and academic with a multidisciplinary approach to storytelling through filmmaking, audio, writing, and photography—exploring the spaces where being human and artistry meet.
Josh received his B.A. in Psychology from the University of New Mexico (everyone’s a lobo) in 2014. He graduated from Iliff with a Master’s in Theological Studies in 2024. His thesis is titled “Laundry and Taxes: Cinema as Portals from Domination Into Worlds of Liberation.”
Josh is currently enrolled in the Joint Doctoral Program at Iliff and the University of Denver, where he focuses his research on lived religion, media studies, and the intersection of cinema and how one orients oneself in the world.
Based on your needs the following services can be combined and personalized to reach your goals.
Schedule a complimentary consultation with The Institute of Religion, Politics, and Culture. Understanding how religion and politics connect for yourself, your staff, and the people you represent will directly fuel the social change you’re seeking to lead.
Research
We dive deeper into the details of religious influence on political ideas through academic research.
Consulting
We partner with advocates, legislators, and candidates running for office to put into practice the learnings from our research.
Creative Communication
Breaking through the noise to challenge assumptions and change the story.
IRPC is working on several projects to advance its vision.
Check out our podcast, Complexified
When we avoid the hard topics connected to religion and politics, we become stuck in the status quo. Complexified is a weekly interview podcast from the Iliff Institute for Religion, Politics & Culture and Religion News Service, hosted by Rev. Dr. Amanda Henderson.
Each episode dives into the most pressing news stories at the crossroads of religion and politics, exploring the nuances that often go overlooked. Whether you’re religiously curious, politically frustrated, or somewhere in between, Complexified brings you conversations that challenge assumptions and spark fresh insights.
A two-year project of bridge-building gatherings around food, music, art, & spirituality.
This project will foster intercultural belonging by building bridges across religious, political, and racial differences, beginning with ten individuals from diverse backgrounds committed to a two-year relationship-building community. We have identified ten Denver area partners from Latine, Black Christian, Asian, Indigenous, Jewish, Muslim, and LQBTQIA+ communities to participate. Religious institutions have long exercised the potential to divide and unite across race, class, gender, socioeconomic, and political ideology.
Iliff School of Theology, a religious educational institution, has been home to both harm and healing and has the capacity and skills to further belonging in Colorado. This project will produce academic research for papers and presentations and cultural storytelling through audio and visual mediums to be shared.
This project is funded by a grant from the Denver Foundation.
