Year in Review: Religion and Politics

A contentious presidential race that reshuffled political coalitions put religion in the national spotlight in 2016. Many religious voters, feeling ostracized in a changing national landscape, chose to support Donald Trump—a candidate who hardly seemed to exemplify Christian morality, but who nevertheless promised to “make America great again.” Those who could not connect with Trump's controversial rhetoric instead challenged his candidacy, dividing religious communities. Over the course of the year, Atlantic writers also delved into other prominent issues—from the battle over religious freedom to the country's growing Islamophobia.