News

On Monday, Assistant Professor of American Religions William Schultz presented at a Dean’s Forum on his new book, Jesus Springs: Evangelical Capitalism and the Fate of an American City (University of North Carolina Press, 2025). The event featured remarks from Margaret M. Mitchell, the Shailer Mathews Distinguished Service Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Literature.

A work of historiography, Jesus Springs revisits the narrative of American evangelicalism through the lens of Colorado Springs, Colorado, often called the “Evangelical Vatican.” Schultz argues that prevailing accounts of evangelical history have overlooked the city’s significance as a place where religious aspiration, political activism, and cultural formation converge.

Motivated by what he described as “a feeling that the story of evangelicalism in the United States was missing something,” Jesus Springs offers a reexamination of the frameworks scholars use to understand evangelical identity and its role in shaping American life.

In her remarks, Professor Mitchell praised the work, noting Schultz’s attention to detail, the strength of its structure, and its contemporary relevance.

The discussion reflects the Divinity School’s ongoing engagement with the study of American religion, historiography, and the intersections of faith and public life.