Our Team
NAPP NAZWORTH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Napp Nazworth, Ph.D., worked in academia for six years, teaching courses in U.S. government, Congress, and religion and politics. For 8 1/2 years he was a journalist, opinion editor, and politics editor for The Christian Post. His 2006 dissertation from the University of Florida was on the Christian Right.
Board of Directors
Neal Rickner, Chairman
Neal Rickner is the Managing Partner of Elevation Ventures. Prior to joining Elevation, he spent nearly a decade at Google and Google[x] leading multiple teams, most notably serving as the Chief Operating Officer of Makani, a next-generation wind-turbine company owned by Alphabet and Shell. Prior to working in tech, he served 12 years on active duty in the US Marine Corps as an F/A-18 pilot and forward air controller. He completed three tours in Iraq between 2003 and 2007, earning the Bronze Star with “Valor” device, and (13) Air Medals. He transitioned from active duty in 2009, earning dual masters degrees (business and international affairs) from Columbia University.
Kaitlyn Schiess
Kaitlyn Schiess is a writer, author, and a ThD student at Duke Divinity School studying political theology, ethics, and biblical interpretation. She has a ThM in systematic theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. Kaitlyn is the author of The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor, released with InterVarsity Press in September 2020. She has written about theology, politics, and culture at places like Christianity Today, The New York Times, Christ and Pop Culture, CT Women, RELEVANT, Sojourners, Fathom, and the Christian Research Journal.
Daniel Bennett
Daniel Bennett is an associate professor of political science at John Brown University. He has published research on the politicization of religious freedom, group attitudes and constitutional rights, Christian legal advocacy, and more. He has written for popular outlets such as Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Religion and Politics, and The Monkey Cage, and he has been interviewed for articles in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New Yorker, and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, among others. His next book, Uneasy Citizenship: Embracing the Tension in Faith and Politics, will be released in 2023.
Bonnie Kristian
Bonnie Kristian is an experienced journalist skilled in compelling opinion writing, concise news delivery, and meticulous editing. She is the author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). As a journalist, she writes opinion pieces on foreign policy, religion, electoral politics, and more. Her column, "The Lesser Kingdom," appears in print and online at Christianity Today. She is a fellow at Defense Priorities, a foreign policy think tank, and her work has been published at outlets including The New York Times, The Week, USA Today, CNN, Politico, Reason, and The Daily Beast. A graduate of Bethel Seminary, she lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and twin sons.
Kedron Bardwell
Kedron Bardwell is Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at Simpson College, where he has taught since 2005. He teaches public policy, American politics, and an Honors seminar on conspiracy theories and disinformation. His research has included conducting surveys focused on the political attitudes and activities of American clergy. His political commentary on U.S. elections and the Iowa caucuses has been cited in national media outlets like The New York Times, NBC News, USA Today, The New Yorker, and NPR.