As religion becomes more visible in Texas politics, how is it reshaping the modern workplace?
From expanded religious accommodations to the rollback of DEI initiatives, Texas employers are increasingly caught between federal protections, state legislation, and a workforce that is more religiously diverse than ever.

In this episode, Dr. Elaine Howard Ecklund, faculty scholar at the Baker Institute and director of Rice University’s Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance, joins Dr. Michael O. Emerson on the “Texas Briefing” podcast to unpack how religion is lived and practiced across industries and regions.

Featured:

• Michael O. Emerson, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/michael-o-emerson
• Elaine Howard Ecklund, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/elaine-howard-ecklund

Mentioned in this episode:

• Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels, Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work, https://www.elainehowardecklund.com/books/working-for-better.
• Elaine Howard Ecklund, Denise Daniels, and Christopher Scheidel, Religion in a Changing Workplace, https://www.elainehowardecklund.com/books/religion-in-a-changing-workplace.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Religious Discrimination, https://www.eeoc.gov/religious-discrimination.

This is the fourth episode in a four-part series, “Between Pulpit and Policy,” exploring the rising influence of faith, particularly Christian nationalism, in Texas politics — and how it’s transforming public policy and governance. The series was produced in partnership with the Baker Institute Student Forum.

This conversation was recorded in front of a live studio audience on Nov. 20, 2025. Learn about future live recordings of the “Texas Briefing” podcast by subscribing to our “Events Digest” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter.

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