Marriage of Church and State - Can Religion Be Apolitical?
Reported By: Sierra Reisman
Illustrated By: Addie Patterson
In the 2020 Presidential election, 76% of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump. Today, two-thirds of white evangelicals continue to have a ‘favorable view’ of the former president, including 30%, who hold a ‘very favorable’ view. Although many of Trump’s political positions are widely considered extreme and not representative of American values, he continues to maintain a cult-like status amongst white evangelicals, who seem more devoted to him as a person than they are to his politics. While it may seem like the white evangelical worship of Trump came out of nowhere in 2016, the modern evangelical right does not exist in a vacuum.
In her 2020 book, “Jesus and John Wayne,” Kristin Du Mez analyzes the development of the relationship between conservative social culture, right-wing politics, and white evangelicals. To a large extent, this merging is rooted in the rise of aggressive American masculinity. The western frontier was declared closed in 1890, and American men were trading in their Wild West fantasies for factory labor. By the turn of the twentieth century, the ruggedly masculine “muscular Christianity” of Billy Sunday was becoming more appealing.
Du Mez emphasizes this shift in Christianity; it became militant and masculinized in the latter twentieth century, as white men began to see culture wars as the new frontier, a place where they could continue to do battle against the social forces (e.g. The Civil Rights Movement, Feminism, immigration, etc), that were depriving them of power. These evangelical fundamentalists saw a new ally in the Republican party, particularly in and after the 1960s, as the Republicans were becoming the party of white retrenchment. Republicans were willing to cater to a white evangelical base, and white evangelicals were willing to adjust their theology when necessary to align with the party. In something of a symbiotic relationship, both radicalized each other.
John Wayne became the poster child for white evangelical masculinity not because he exemplified Christian values (he was known for having several high-profile affairs, amongst other vices) but because he embodied the new-frontier cowboy. His persona exemplified the social power white evangelical men wanted to reclaim. Reality is no match for mystique. The hero-worship of John Wayne and the Trump cult of personality have haunting similarities. Like John Wayne, Trump is far from a pious figure, yet he maintains sway with the evangelical right because he represents a chance to regain their power. By promising to defend ‘traditional values’ Trump gets a pass on actually living those values out.
If “muscular Christianity” is a modern invention, what is the future of Christian politics? It’s obvious politics are dividing the church, but as long as the Bible is open to interpretation, people will continue to project the image of Jesus onto whichever person in whom they see their own personal power. Is this a form of idolatry? I think so. It certainly doesn’t seem like apolitical Christianity is anywhere in our future, nor should it be. For a religion that commands its followers to aid the poor, stand up for the oppressed, and live out radical love to be apolitical is impossible. The true question is this: will white evangelical idolatry continue to define what it means to be Christian, or can that name still be reclaimed by those who follow Jesus, and not John Wayne?