Political science and religious studies Prof. Elizabeth Shakman Hurd spoke at a Wednesday book talk hosted by the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs about her latest book, “Heaven Has a Wall: Religion, Borders, and the Global United States.”
Hurd studies religion, political theory, political theology and international relations. These fields have shaped her new book, which she defined as an “urgent exploration of borders” and their importance in American society.
“U.S. borders are both present and absent,” she said. “The United States has a desire to have and also transcend borders — a desire to make the rules, but to also suspend the laws.”
In her talk, Hurd focused on the Mariposa Land Port of Entry located between Nogales, Arizona, and Sonora, Mexico, and the societal significance of this borderland. She said the Mariposa LPOE reveals the contradictions embedded in U.S. border practices.
Though the site is marked by imposing walls and surveillance, Hurd described the deeply human aspects of the landscape, such as adult and child-sized footprints, suggesting moments of care and connection amid restriction. This image is the cover of the book.
She also spoke about a poem inscribed at the site, which reads, “The border is what joins us, not what separates us,” capturing the double meaning that borders hold.
“‘Heaven Has a Wall’ is a timely, personal and deeply interdisciplinary work,” said Barbara Sostaita, a professor in the Department of Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Sostaita said the book captures the paradox at the heart of U.S. border politics: the country is defined both by its exclusionary border practices and by its persistent desire to transcend those limits.
“The commentators and the speaker, Elizabeth Hurd, were wonderful and touched upon really important topics including the entanglements of how religion, border regimes and politics are really intertwined,” Ph.D. candidate in anthropology İdil Özkan said.
Sostaita also compared the view of the “free” to the “unfree.” She noted that U.S. border policies frame America as a land of salvation and liberty, despite it only being available only to select people.
“The state of our borders affects all of us,” Hurd said.
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— Buffett Institute hosts symposium on AI and geopolitics
— Anne-Marie Slaughter discusses international law at Buffett Institute
