Try as they might- and they did- no other candidate could stand up to Donald Trump when it comes to flaunting an aggressive, militant masculinity. Evangelicals were looking for a protector, an aggressive, heroic, manly man, someone who wasn’t restrained by political correctness or feminine virtues, someone who would break the rules for the right cause. “But in truth, Evangelical leaders had been perfecting this pitch for nearly fifty years. This excerpt from page 253 of 356 in Jesus and John Wayne captures the essence of their cause: He was the fulfillment of their machinations. Trump wasn’t a long-awaited spiritual savior, as some Evangelicals still believe. It worked for them then, and it’s working for them still. But finally, we have an explanation for the meteoric rise of Donald Trump.Įvangelical names that you would recognize used John Wayne’s influence and persona, beginning the process of creating a white American male prototype in order to secure and maintain social and political power. Any connection to Jesus Christ is a very long stretch of the imagination. This well-written book weaves a spell-binding narrative that introduces a seemingly innocent precept: “There’s more to Evangelicalism than theology.” But that ‘more’ sprawls across decades of abuse: of power, money, position, fame, and sexual domination by a staggering number of famous names in modern Christianity. She spent years painstakingly researching and documenting her findings. Kristin Kobes Du Mez received her PhD in History from Notre Dame University and currently serves as a professor at Calvin University. Far more than a history lesson, Professor Du Mez discovered the design for the Evangelical Church’s patriarchal stranglehold on their members. My purpose here is not promotion but to share what I have learned and decide what I will do with the information. At this point, you alone must decide if you want to read the book. That, my friends, is the sordid story researched and reported by Dr. So how did this character- part real person, part Hollywood creation- become the blueprint for the Republican candidate for President of the United States? Not to mention the poster boy for the Religious Right’s quest for the throne? A Scholar Seeks The Truth Whether on or off-screen, when the Big Man spoke, American’s enemies were cued to quiver in fear. He also won an absurd number of awards, including (but hardly limited to) the Oscar for Best Actor, the Congressional Gold Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His politics were solidly conservative, but taken to public extremes in matters of anti-Communism, white supremacy, aggressive militarism, and utter contempt for non-heterosexual identities. He passed away in 1979, long before there was any accountability for his less-than-stellar personal behaviors. Most biographers tend to treat him kindly, giving him the benefit of the doubt since he inevitably played the good guy. John Wayne, credit to Wikipedia and Google ImagesĪnd just like the rest of us, he was a mixed bag. Almost every role he played cast him as a champion of our times Superman versus all of America’s perceived enemies. At 6’4, chiseled and arguably handsome, women wanted him and men wanted to be him. White America’s hero of the silver screen strutted across our collective cinematic consciousness for over forty years. Kristin Kobes Du Mez, is that a man like Donald Trump is exactly whom they were expecting. #JESUS AND JOHN WAYNE EBOOK HOW TO#Through the Evangelical Church I learned how to love, and I blindly assumed that we all shared a devotion to our Savior as He is revealed in the Gospels. But at the core of my discontent was my longing to understand the betrayal of our faith. My book page lists several resources that detail the rise of the Religious Right, far more of a political juggernaut than a movement of the faithful. If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I’ve been actively searching for the answer since September of 2019. The Big QuestionĪside from the quest for social and political power, why did Evangelicals betray the teachings of Jesus to endorse Donald Trump for president? It did, however, finally answer a question that’s been dogging me for five years. Rather, it lifted a layer of secrecy off of the history I’ve lived through, leaving me feeling as though I’d been punched in the gut and needed a shower. Not for its escapism, nor glorious transportation to another place and time. If William Styron’s definition is correct, then I found Jesus and John Wayne to be one for the ages. You should live several lives while reading it.”- William Styron “A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted.
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