White Evangelicalism: Unpacking the movement’s history in order to understand its influence on the country and culture today

Thursday, March 26, 7:00 pm

The Iona Lecture Series is where arts and sciences meet humanity. In this Iona Lecture, public theologian Cara Meredith will trace the history of the white evangelical movement, particularly in the 20th century, in order to understand its influence on U.S. politics and culture today. Her work highlights both the harm and the good, particularly toward women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community, and is told through a storytelling lens of personal narrative, Christian theology, and journalistic integrity.  

Join us for this important evening of conversation with lecture at 7 pm and wine and cheese reception to follow. 

Free and Open to the Public. 

Author, freelance writer, and public theologian Cara Meredith is passionate about collective liberation, mutual reciprocity, and being a good neighbor. Her first book, The Color of Life: A Journey Toward Love and Racial Justice (Zondervan, 2019), examines her journey as a white woman into issues of race after marrying the son of Civil Rights icon James Meredith. Her second book, Church Camp: Bad Skits, Cry Night, and How White Evangelicalism Betrayed a Generation (Broadleaf, 2025), lends a critical eye to the place she loved and long called home, with a particular lens toward injustices experienced by women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community. She holds a master of theology from Fuller Seminary and is a postulant for Holy Orders in the Episcopal Church (Diocese of California), to be ordained Deacon in June 2026 and Priest in December 2026. With a background in education and nonprofit work, she wears more hats than she probably ought, but mostly just enjoys playing with words, a lot. She has been featured in national media outlets such as The Oregonian, The New York Times, The Living Church, The Christian Century, and Baptist News Global, among others. The Pacific Northwest native now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two sons.