Sovereignty and Spiritual Warfare

Join Savannah H. Finver and Dr. S. Jonathon O’Donnell for a timely conversation about the role of demonology in American political rhetoric. Savannah chats with Dr. O’Donnell about their interest in rhetoric around demons and how that interest translated into their first monograph, Passing Orders: Demonology and Sovereignty in American Spiritual Warfare (Fordham University Press, 2021). The two also discuss Dr. O’Donnell’s methodology, the importance of including interdisciplinary perspectives in religious studies projects, and discourse analysis as a theoretical framework. We wrap up our conversation with a discussion about what it means to engage in the “critical study of religion” from multiple perspectives and how Dr. O’Donnell sees their work fitting in—or not—to this larger project. What’s next for Dr. O’Donnell? Tune in and find out!

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