Converging Dialogues

• #399 - A Christian Democracy?: A Dialogue with Jonathan Rauch

  In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jonathan Rauch about the impact of Christianity on democracy in the United States. They discuss Christianity without dogma, why secular America should care about Christianity, and if a secular religion is possible. They talk about why people are less religious, evangelical Christians aligned with MAGA, liberalism and post-liberalism, mormonism, future of Christianity and democracy, and many more topics. Jonathan Rauch is a Senior Fellow of Governance Studies at Brookings Institute. He is a journalist and author of eight books. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and recipient of the 2005 National Magazine Award. He is the author of the latest book, Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy. Website: https://www.jonathanrauch.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

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• #398 - The New India: A Dialogue with Rahul Bhatia

  In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Rahul Bhatia about the many recent changes in India. They provide an overview of the recent social changes in India, the Citizenship Act and National Register, Citizenship based on religion, protests against the Citizenship Act, history of the RSS, Infosys, Modi, and many more topics. Rahul Bhatia is a journalist and author of The New India, a book of narrative reportage about the road to authoritarianism in India and its effects on ordinary citizens.His work has been published in the Guardian Long Read, the New Yorker, the New York Times, Reuters Investigates, Quartz, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, the Caravan, and other places. He was awarded a Harvard Radcliffe Institute fellowship in 2022-23, won the True Story Award in 2024, and received a Ramnath Goenka Award and a Mumbai Press Club Red Ink Award in 2015.Website: https://rahulbhatia.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

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• #397 - The Life and Presidency of Martin Van Buren: A Dialogue with James M. Bradley

  In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with James M. Bradley about the life and president of Martin Van Buren. They discuss how Van Buren built the modern political party system, background and upbringing of Van Buren, influence of Aaron Burr, Van Buren’s temperament, his time as New York State Senator, Attorney General, U.S. Senator, and Governor of New York. They talk about Van Buren being campaign manager for Andrew Jackson’s presidential campaign, Secretary of State for Jackson, Van Buren’s own presidency, legacy of Van Buren, and many more topics. James M. Bradley is co-editor of the Martin Van Buren Papers, based at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee. He is an Adjunct Instructor in the public history program at State University of New York at Albany, and was the Senior Project Editor of Encyclopedia of New York City, published by Yale University Press. He is the author of the most recent book, Martin van Buren: America’s First Politician. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

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• #396 - Woodrow Wilson and Women's Rights: A Dialogue with Christopher Cox

  In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Christopher Cox about Woodrow Wilson and his interactions with women’s rights. They discuss the complicated history and legacy of Woodrow Wilson, landscape of the women’s Suffrage movement, and the origins of Wilson’s racist and sexist ideas. They talk about his time at Bryn Mawr College, ignoring women’s rights as governor, and how he won the Presidency in 1912. They discuss his removal of African-Americans from the Civil Service division, his interactions with the National American Women Suffrage Association (NAWSA), handling women’s rights protests, change to supporting the Anthony Amendment, Wilson’s legacy on women’s rights, and many more topics. Christopher Cox is a Senior Scholar in Residence at the University of California, Irvine, a Life Trustee of the University of Southern California, Chair of the Rhodes Scholarship selection committee for Southern California and the Pacific, and a member of several nonprofit and for-profit boards. Between two decades as a practicing lawyer, he served as chair of the Homeland Security Committee in the US House of Representatives, chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and senior associate counsel to the President. He has written for Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, The Detroit News, The Denver Post, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and dozens of other publications. He is the author of the recent book, Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

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• #395 - A Jewish Tragedy in 1929 Hebron: A Dialogue with Yardena Schwartz

  In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Yardena Schwartz about the 1929 Jewish Massacre in Hebron. They give an overview of the 1929 Hebron massacre, review of Ottoman and British rule of Palestine, and talk about Hebron and holy sites in Palestine. They also discuss an independent Palestine, motivations and propoganda before the 1929 massacre, Haj Amin, lineage of Amin to present-day Palestinian leadership, October 7 massacre, and many more topics. Yardena Schwartz is an award-winning journalist and Emmy-nominated producer. From 2013 to 2023 she was based in Israel, where she reported for dozens of publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time, Economist, New York Review of Books, and Foreign Policy. She has also reported from Morocco, Nepal, Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, and the United States.​ Yardena previously worked at NBC News, including stints at The Today Show, Nightly News, and MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports. She graduated with honors from Columbia Journalism School in 2011, earned an Emmy nomination in 2013, and an RNA award for excellence in magazine reporting in 2016. ​ Ghosts of a Holy War is Yardena's first book.Website: https://www.yardenaschwartz.com/ Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

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