The core of evangelism---the motivation, the driving force---is not zealous faith in a Supreme

[Ford_Prefect]

39. A key motivation seems to be FEAR. IMO that is what leads to the obsession with control.

In a review of John Fea's book Believe Me: The evangelical road to Donald Trump:

Why is Fear an Evangelical Habit of Mind?
By Kristin Kobes Du Mez November 4, 2018

White evangelicals, in particular, seem to be living in fear. They are more likely than any other religious demographic to believe that immigrants threaten traditional American values. Over half of white evangelicals fear that Muslims want to limit their freedom. Yet, white evangelicals believe that they are the ones being persecuted. Against substantial empirical evidence, white evangelicals are the only Christian group who believe that Christians face more discrimination than Muslims.

White Christians are also more likely than other demographics to discount the fears of African Americans. Whereas around 80% of black Christians believe police-involved killings are part of a larger pattern, 70% of white Christians believe the opposite—that they are isolated incidents. This compares to 65% of whites more generally. In other words, white Christians are less likely to believe the experiences of black Americans than whites who aren’t Christian.

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Conservative evangelicals pride themselves on their “biblicism”—on upholding the authority of the Scriptures, and living their lives accordingly. Yet there are countless Bible passages about fear that have gotten surprisingly little air time in evangelical circles of late. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you….Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1 ). “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4).

Encouraging Christians to trust God and fear no evil, however, is not conducive to building religious empires or filling empty coffers. If Christians are placing their hope in Christ, there’s not much need for an earthly strongman. Sticking close to the Scriptures doesn’t make much business sense. Nor does it mesh well with the egos of celebrity preachers and power-hungry religious leaders.

https://kristindumez.com/resources/why-is-fear-an-evangelical-habit-of-mind/