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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Christians Who Loved Trump's Stunt
Andrew Whitehead, a sociologist at Clemson University, has argued that Trumps religious base can best be understood through the lens of Christian nationalism. In his research, Whitehead has found that white Protestants who believe most strongly that Christianity should hold a privileged place in Americas public square are more likely than others to agree with statements such as We must crack down on troublemakers to save our moral standards and keep law and order and Police officers shoot blacks more often because they are more violent than whites.
Whitehead told me in an interview that Christian nationalism is often not really about theology (and thus cant be ascribed to all conservative churchgoers): Its about identity, enforcing hierarchy, and order.
That Trumps religious posturing has little to do with religion has long been a matter of conventional wisdom (see: Corinthians, Two); fewer have grasped the extent to which thats true of Trumps religious base as well.
After the presidents unannounced visit to St. Johns, Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, D.C., gave an outraged interview to The Washington Post. Everything he has said and done is to inflame violence We need moral leadership, and hes done everything to divide us, and has just used one of the most sacred symbols of the Judeo-Christian tradition, she said.
But, of course, sacredness has never been a concern of Trumps. He didnt open the Bible he was brandishing for the cameras, because he had no use for its text. He didnt go inside the church he was using as a backdrop, because he had no interest in a sermon.
To Trump, the Bible and the church are not symbols of faith; they are weapons of culture war. And to many of his Christian supporters watching at home, the pandering wasnt an act of inauthenticity; it was a sign of allegianceand shared dominance.
Whitehead told me in an interview that Christian nationalism is often not really about theology (and thus cant be ascribed to all conservative churchgoers): Its about identity, enforcing hierarchy, and order.
That Trumps religious posturing has little to do with religion has long been a matter of conventional wisdom (see: Corinthians, Two); fewer have grasped the extent to which thats true of Trumps religious base as well.
After the presidents unannounced visit to St. Johns, Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, D.C., gave an outraged interview to The Washington Post. Everything he has said and done is to inflame violence We need moral leadership, and hes done everything to divide us, and has just used one of the most sacred symbols of the Judeo-Christian tradition, she said.
But, of course, sacredness has never been a concern of Trumps. He didnt open the Bible he was brandishing for the cameras, because he had no use for its text. He didnt go inside the church he was using as a backdrop, because he had no interest in a sermon.
To Trump, the Bible and the church are not symbols of faith; they are weapons of culture war. And to many of his Christian supporters watching at home, the pandering wasnt an act of inauthenticity; it was a sign of allegianceand shared dominance.
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The Christians Who Loved Trump's Stunt (Original Post)
Marcuse
Jun 2020
OP
dhill926
(16,314 posts)1. let's just call them fascists and be done with it....
BComplex
(8,017 posts)2. Because that's exactly what they are!
Bernardo de La Paz
(48,958 posts)5. They are Dominionists and fascists. But I repeat myself. . . . nt
magicarpet
(14,119 posts)4. Fascist who's theology instructs to Reconstruct & Dominate religion, society, politics, natural,...
...resources and environment.
They hold dominion over all of God's creations and told by God it is their duty to exploit the same,... and punish those who do not fully agree,and subscribe to that identical theology.