UCSB Library presents the Kenneth Karmiole Annual Lecture on Religion in American Life, featuring Dr. Randall Balmer, a leading scholar of American religious history.
Balmer, the John Phillips Professor in Religion at Dartmouth College, is a prize-winning historian, bestselling author, and noted public commentator. His latest work, America’s Best Idea: The Separation of Church and State (2025), explores how First Amendment protections have shaped the nation’s religious diversity—and the challenges facing those freedoms today.
This annual lecture highlights the intersection of scholarship and public engagement, drawing from the extensive resources of UCSB Library’s American Religions Collection, one of the most comprehensive archives of American religious history in the country.