Zócalo Public Square

Well before the rise of political evangelicalism, Americans have blurred the church-state divide, whether for spurring major social movements like women’s suffrage or civil rights or for hitting the campaign trail. But how well does democracy mix with God? As Europeans and Americans worry about radical Islam undermining Western-style liberal democratic government. Journalist and scholar Ian Buruma, author of Taming the Gods, visited Zócalo to argue that religion — and particularly the passions it inflames — must be calmed to make democracy work.