Rick Steves and Bishop Shelley M. Bryan Wee

Rick Steves and Bishop Shelley M. Bryan Wee are coming to Town Hall Seattle on Tuesday, October 13, for a conversation about American democracy and the rise of Christian nationalism. It's an odd pairing on paper—the travel writer and the Lutheran bishop—but the two of them will be sharing the stage to look at the same set of questions from very different angles.

Steves is the public television host and best-selling guidebook author who founded Rick Steves' Europe, a business that brings around 30,000 people to Europe each year. His fund has channeled $40 million to various organizations since 2017. From his seat, he'll be offering a European perspective on Donald Trump and the current state of US democracy. Bishop Wee has led the Northwest Washington Synod since 2019, and she'll be examining the dangers of merging Christian identity with political power. Together, they'll be weighing in on where the country stands and how these two perspectives—one from the travel world, one from the church—intersect.

The session is offered both in person and by livestream, so you can be there in the room or watch from home. It's taking place in The Great Hall at Town Hall Seattle, 1119 Eighth Avenue—enter on Eighth Avenue—in the 98101 zip code. Doors open at 6:30 PM, and the talk starts at 7:30 PM, running about 75 minutes. Tickets are on a sliding scale from $10 to $35.