Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation
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- Author：Kristin Kobes Du Mez
- ISBN：163149905X
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Summary
A scholar of American Christianity presents a seventy-five-year history of evangelicalism that identifies the forces that have turned Donald Trump into a hero of the Religious Right。
How did a libertine who lacks even the most basic knowledge of the Christian faith win 81 percent of the white evangelical vote in 2016？ And why have white evangelicals become a presidential reprobate’s staunchest supporters？ These are among the questions acclaimed historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez asks in Jesus and John Wayne， which delves beyond facile headlines to explain how white evangelicals have brought us to our fractured political moment。 Challenging the commonly held assumption that the “moral majority” backed Donald Trump for purely pragmatic reasons， Du Mez reveals that Donald Trump in fact represents the fulfillment， rather than the betrayal， of white evangelicals’ most deeply held values。
Jesus and John Wayne is a sweeping account of the last seventy-five years of white evangelicalism， showing how American evangelicals have worked for decades to replace the Jesus of the Gospels with an idol of rugged masculinity and Christian nationalism， or in the words of one modern chaplain， with “a spiritual badass。” As Du Mez explains， the key to understanding this transformation is to recognize the role of culture in modern American evangelicalism。 Many of today’s evangelicals may not be theologically astute， but they know their VeggieTales， they’ve read John Eldredge’s Wild at Heart， and they learned about purity before they learned about sex—and they have a silver ring to prove it。 Evangelical books， films， music， clothing， and merchandise shape the beliefs of millions。 And evangelical popular culture is teeming with muscular heroes—mythical warriors and rugged soldiers， men like Oliver North， Ronald Reagan， Mel Gibson， and the Duck Dynasty clan， who assert white masculine power in defense of “Christian America。” Chief among these evangelical legends is John Wayne， an icon of a lost time when men were uncowed by political correctness， unafraid to tell it like it was， and did what needed to be done。
Trump， in other words， is hardly the first flashy celebrity to capture evangelicals’ hearts and minds， nor is he the first strongman to promise evangelicals protection and power。 Indeed， the values and viewpoints at the heart of white evangelicalism today—patriarchy， authoritarian rule， aggressive foreign policy， fear of Islam， ambivalence toward #MeToo， and opposition to Black Lives Matter and the LGBTQ community—are likely to persist long after Trump leaves office。
A much-needed reexamination， Jesus and John Wayne explains why evangelicals have rallied behind the least-Christian president in American history and how they have transformed their faith in the process， with enduring consequences for all of us。
How did a libertine who lacks even the most basic knowledge of the Christian faith win 81 percent of the white evangelical vote in 2016？ And why have white evangelicals become a presidential reprobate’s staunchest supporters？ These are among the questions acclaimed historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez asks in Jesus and John Wayne， which delves beyond facile headlines to explain how white evangelicals have brought us to our fractured political moment。 Challenging the commonly held assumption that the “moral majority” backed Donald Trump for purely pragmatic reasons， Du Mez reveals that Donald Trump in fact represents the fulfillment， rather than the betrayal， of white evangelicals’ most deeply held values。
Jesus and John Wayne is a sweeping account of the last seventy-five years of white evangelicalism， showing how American evangelicals have worked for decades to replace the Jesus of the Gospels with an idol of rugged masculinity and Christian nationalism， or in the words of one modern chaplain， with “a spiritual badass。” As Du Mez explains， the key to understanding this transformation is to recognize the role of culture in modern American evangelicalism。 Many of today’s evangelicals may not be theologically astute， but they know their VeggieTales， they’ve read John Eldredge’s Wild at Heart， and they learned about purity before they learned about sex—and they have a silver ring to prove it。 Evangelical books， films， music， clothing， and merchandise shape the beliefs of millions。 And evangelical popular culture is teeming with muscular heroes—mythical warriors and rugged soldiers， men like Oliver North， Ronald Reagan， Mel Gibson， and the Duck Dynasty clan， who assert white masculine power in defense of “Christian America。” Chief among these evangelical legends is John Wayne， an icon of a lost time when men were uncowed by political correctness， unafraid to tell it like it was， and did what needed to be done。
Trump， in other words， is hardly the first flashy celebrity to capture evangelicals’ hearts and minds， nor is he the first strongman to promise evangelicals protection and power。 Indeed， the values and viewpoints at the heart of white evangelicalism today—patriarchy， authoritarian rule， aggressive foreign policy， fear of Islam， ambivalence toward #MeToo， and opposition to Black Lives Matter and the LGBTQ community—are likely to persist long after Trump leaves office。
A much-needed reexamination， Jesus and John Wayne explains why evangelicals have rallied behind the least-Christian president in American history and how they have transformed their faith in the process， with enduring consequences for all of us。
Reviews
Josh Kucko
，
I grew up Evangelical and rejected it intellectually once I entered college。 This book made some excellent points about the transition evangelicalism has made over the past 50 years and it’s impact on the political sphere。 It’s a relatively quick read， and I highly recommend it。
Carol
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The history of my spiritual journey This insightful book was a review of my life in the Church。 I was a part of Nearly every men’s movement discussed by the author and my family bears the scars of those engagements。 I have regrets。
Paige Leone
，
There was so much to highlight and so much to take in。 This is what I was raised in， but what I’m trying to deconstruct because it really leaves me aghast and also with so many questions。
Ben Gresik
，
This book is pretty devastating。 It starts very slowly with the first 12 or 13 chapters outlining the history of masculinity in white evangelical churches and institutions from the 1880's on to the present day。 Then in the last two chapters it all comes together as these threads are tied together to explain Trump's popularity among White Evangelicals even though he was highly morally flawed。 The final chapter explains a number of alarming cases of hypocrisy， abuse， and cover-ups of abusive behav This book is pretty devastating。 It starts very slowly with the first 12 or 13 chapters outlining the history of masculinity in white evangelical churches and institutions from the 1880's on to the present day。 Then in the last two chapters it all comes together as these threads are tied together to explain Trump's popularity among White Evangelicals even though he was highly morally flawed。 The final chapter explains a number of alarming cases of hypocrisy， abuse， and cover-ups of abusive behaviour。 It ends on a pretty depressing note but somehow having all of these threads tied together and explained makes it easier to digest。 Things that previously did not make any sense suddenly make a lot of sense and I find that helpful for tackling some of the problems presented in the book。In short this book is a slow burn and very depressing， but does a very good job of explaining the story it seeks to understand。 。。。more
Tracey
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Explains the history behind the mystery of the evangelical support of Trump despite his immorality and other short-comings。
Jonathan Fletcher
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Listened to this in audio form， so it was hard to tell what was being quoted directly and what was said by the author。 Her research was thorough， and this is definitely a problem in evangelical circles。 I certainly do not agree with all of her conclusions。
Ashley Cooprider
，
Amazing book - the author did her research and explains "evangelicalism" for the past 70 or so years， mostly as a political movement。 As someone who struggled for a while in a toxic church environment， this book really helped me。 Furthermore， it helps explain why so many evangelical Christians still support and embrace the former president （45）， and that this support was not an anomaly at all。 I am happy to say I grew up with the traditional， "love your neighbor" Jesus， and in my formative years Amazing book - the author did her research and explains "evangelicalism" for the past 70 or so years， mostly as a political movement。 As someone who struggled for a while in a toxic church environment， this book really helped me。 Furthermore， it helps explain why so many evangelical Christians still support and embrace the former president （45）， and that this support was not an anomaly at all。 I am happy to say I grew up with the traditional， "love your neighbor" Jesus， and in my formative years I learned about Jesus' love and grace。 However， in college I became immersed in a more toxic environment， one that taught "purity culture" and more fundamental values。 I recall one conversation with a pastor from this church who was "disappointed in me" because I intended to have a career and not be a "full-time wife and mother" as the bible commands。 However， I was able to leave this church behind my faith is still strong， but I struggled for many years following this experience。 This book helped me to understand why so many Christians think the way they do， and value so strongly issues that are not biblically sound。 And no， this author does not bash Christians at all。 Rather， she does her research and covers the issues with grace and understanding。 。。。more
Jeff Elliott
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Admittedly I don't give out stars easily so maybe the book deserves more。 Du Mez did an excellent job of recounting the history of "white evangelicals" （at least the complementarian contingent）。 I'd have a hard time thinking of an evangelical leader that wasn't named in this book。 She isn't wrong that many of them ended up in adultery， abuse or something else。 I think it's slightly unfair and simplistic to say that their complementarian views were the reason for their moral failures and she may Admittedly I don't give out stars easily so maybe the book deserves more。 Du Mez did an excellent job of recounting the history of "white evangelicals" （at least the complementarian contingent）。 I'd have a hard time thinking of an evangelical leader that wasn't named in this book。 She isn't wrong that many of them ended up in adultery， abuse or something else。 I think it's slightly unfair and simplistic to say that their complementarian views were the reason for their moral failures and she may not be saying that but without a more complete conclusion chapter I can't say。The book functions well as a study or history of the evangelical movement in America。 I was hoping for a longer summation of conclusions。 I felt that she wanted me to make some connections that I did not make。 This likely makes me one that she would lump in with those she wrote about。 。。。more
Stacey
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Basically， if you grew up evangelical or are evangelical and don't want to see all the stuff behind the curtain don't read this book！ Du Mez builds a case for how this particular arm of religion has systematically been corrupted by power， money， and nationalism。 If you ever thought that something was off of your church experience this book will have you seeing the matrix and realizing that your instinct was good not the religion that told you you were flawed。 Basically， if you grew up evangelical or are evangelical and don't want to see all the stuff behind the curtain don't read this book！ Du Mez builds a case for how this particular arm of religion has systematically been corrupted by power， money， and nationalism。 If you ever thought that something was off of your church experience this book will have you seeing the matrix and realizing that your instinct was good not the religion that told you you were flawed。 。。。more
Katrina Detwiler
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This was so fascinating！！！ I couldn’t put it down。
Christine
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One of the most thought provoking and challenging books I have read。 There were times I wrestled with the content and there were times I totally agreed。 This book caused me to think about the typical evangelical church institution and how the past church culture has historically shaped what Christianity looks like for the standard church going Christian today。 We say Jesus is in control of everything yet we look to the government to fix things and blame pastors for no change。 Is God God or have One of the most thought provoking and challenging books I have read。 There were times I wrestled with the content and there were times I totally agreed。 This book caused me to think about the typical evangelical church institution and how the past church culture has historically shaped what Christianity looks like for the standard church going Christian today。 We say Jesus is in control of everything yet we look to the government to fix things and blame pastors for no change。 Is God God or have Christians made the government God？ 。。。more
LyndenTree63
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American Evangelicalism makes sense now。 Also， top-notch scholarship。
Carson Cooper
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This book is thick。 I liked it a lot but it took me forever to read。 I do think the author could be a little overly critical of some of the points brought up but regardless it was really interesting in understanding how the Evangelical church turned into what it is today。 With that said it’s quite sad and heartbreaking and honestly want to use the word “gross！” Anywho。 I recommend the book but just understand the bias that comes along with it I think。 I learned a lot。 Know some stuff about why m This book is thick。 I liked it a lot but it took me forever to read。 I do think the author could be a little overly critical of some of the points brought up but regardless it was really interesting in understanding how the Evangelical church turned into what it is today。 With that said it’s quite sad and heartbreaking and honestly want to use the word “gross！” Anywho。 I recommend the book but just understand the bias that comes along with it I think。 I learned a lot。 Know some stuff about why middle school boys in Floyd love John Wayne so much。 。。。more
Bethany Bender
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A nice history or white evangelical power in the us。
James R
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If you care about the substantial threat of the downfall of democracy in our country， this is an extremely important book。 It offers no practical solutions， just an analysis of how we got to this point。 And it’s dry as dirt， which is really unfortunate。 Some commentators quibble about the rigor of the supporting research。 Not every true thing has to proven by journal citations。 Just ask the religious right where literally nothing is。 The preponderance of evidence is overwhelming that’s a high en If you care about the substantial threat of the downfall of democracy in our country， this is an extremely important book。 It offers no practical solutions， just an analysis of how we got to this point。 And it’s dry as dirt， which is really unfortunate。 Some commentators quibble about the rigor of the supporting research。 Not every true thing has to proven by journal citations。 Just ask the religious right where literally nothing is。 The preponderance of evidence is overwhelming that’s a high enough standard for me。 Christian Nationalism is a clear and present threat to our democratic republic。 。。。more
dawn
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 For me， a much needed book that was well-written， fair， engaging， and relevant。 I enjoyed it all the way through。 Word of warning though for those who have had abusive experiences and have suffered at the hands of evangelicals， the last chapter （"Evangelical Mulligans: A History"） was quite triggering for me to read as she recounts the abuse， misogyny， and aggressive masculine "leadership" style of well-known evangelical leaders and pastors。 Hearing all of it in one go was a lot but I'm glad the For me， a much needed book that was well-written， fair， engaging， and relevant。 I enjoyed it all the way through。 Word of warning though for those who have had abusive experiences and have suffered at the hands of evangelicals， the last chapter （"Evangelical Mulligans: A History"） was quite triggering for me to read as she recounts the abuse， misogyny， and aggressive masculine "leadership" style of well-known evangelical leaders and pastors。 Hearing all of it in one go was a lot but I'm glad the chapter is in there。 。。。more
Lily Evangeline
，
“In the end， Doug Wilson， John Piper， Mark Driscoll， James Dobson， Doug Phillips， and John Eldredge all preached a mutually reinforcing vision of Christian masculinity—of patriarchy and submission， sex and power。 It was a vision that promised protection for women but left women without defense， one that worshiped power and turned a blind eye to justice， and one that transformed the Jesus of the Gospels into an image of their own making。 Though rooted in different traditions and couched in dif “In the end， Doug Wilson， John Piper， Mark Driscoll， James Dobson， Doug Phillips， and John Eldredge all preached a mutually reinforcing vision of Christian masculinity—of patriarchy and submission， sex and power。 It was a vision that promised protection for women but left women without defense， one that worshiped power and turned a blind eye to justice， and one that transformed the Jesus of the Gospels into an image of their own making。 Though rooted in different traditions and couched in different styles， their messages blended together to become the dominant chord in the cacophony of evangelical popular culture。 And they had been right all along。 The militant Christian masculinity they practiced and preached did indelibly shape both family and nation。”It is rare I have visceral reactions to books， but while reading this book （especially towards the end）， I felt vaguely nauseous。 It is not a fun read。 But I'm thankful for the people in my life who encouraged me to read this shattering deep dive into the history of the American Evangelical movement and how decisions by （primarily male and white） leaders， generally while seeking political power of some sort， led to the entrenchment of patriarchy within Christianity， the invention of "macho Jesus" and toxic masculinity as we know it， and ultimately resulted in conservative， pro-Trump Christianity as a religion more unified by its political leanings than by scripture。 I grew up quite deep in the thick of all of this and went to a college that （unfortunately） churned out not a few of the individuals who shaped this movement （and not for the better）。 Conservative evangelical culture was not only the dominant but perhaps even the only culture in which I interacted for the first two decades of my life。 I was familiar with almost all of the rhetoric and many of the big names she weaves together here。 As a reader， it was embarrassing， painful， and infuriating。 In some ways， liberating。 At times I felt so torn， almost heartbroken as I was forced to see rotten bits of a movement that historically has been so much a part of my life， and something that still defines many of my family and friends。 But mostly， I'm incredibly grateful to Kristin Kobes Du Mez for writing this book。 We cannot know who we are until we know who and where we've been。 This book empowered me with the knowledge I need to be able to articulate vague feelings I've had for years and sort through spiritual trauma。 Now I have context for peculiar brew of conservative evangelicalism I grew up in， and the subtext of many messages I heard over and over growing up is finally becoming clear to me。 Learning where these messages came from allows me to keep them from continuing to speak to me today。 The evidence and research is overwhelming。 I find it difficult to believe that anyone who goes into this book with a truly open mind， regardless of political leanings， could finish it without feeling that there are profound problems with the evangelical church that stretch back to its very origin， and will not be addressed or solved quickly or easily。Any brand of Christianity that theologically condones the oppression of any group of individuals can result only in own spiritual deterioration and a stunted message。 The gospel is not compatible with the abuse of power。 It feels natural and inevitable now when I think on how often， as an adult， I've felt that despite sitting through hours of scripture reading/memorizing as an adolescent， I don't feel I was never truly preached the gospel。 Ultimately I， like many others who grew up within evangelicalism， was preached a message steeped in and warped by patriarchy， racism， and Christian nationalism and then wrapped up tightly in a great deal of theology， a message "having a form of godliness， but denying it's power。" （2 Tim）And Kristin Kobes Du Mez will tell you how we got there。 I'm very lucky to have read it with a group of post-evangelicals who were gracious and compassionate in their anger， as reading this on my own would have been incredibly frustrating and likely only resulted in further internalization of the bitterness and disgust。 I would encourage anyone else reading this book， particularly those who are very familiar with evangelical culture （and I think this is the demographic that would most benefit from this book） to do the same。 。。。more
Sarah Sheppard
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Spectacular exvangelical/deconstructionist must-read。
Rachel
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This book is a cultural history journey that leads the reader through white evangelicalism’s involvement in politics; culminating to the last chapter， Evangelical Mulligans， that will leave you with an unrelenting righteous anger。
Dawn Klinge
，
For those asking， 'why' and 'how，' American Evangelicals overwhelmingly supported someone like Trump， this well-researched historical account of Evangelical culture offers some great food for thought。 As someone who grew up smack dab in the middle of this culture， and as a former Mars Hill church member， I found the author's descriptions and analysis to be spot-on with my personal experiences。I recommend this book and think it's a highly important read。 I imagine it has and will ruffle a lot of For those asking， 'why' and 'how，' American Evangelicals overwhelmingly supported someone like Trump， this well-researched historical account of Evangelical culture offers some great food for thought。 As someone who grew up smack dab in the middle of this culture， and as a former Mars Hill church member， I found the author's descriptions and analysis to be spot-on with my personal experiences。I recommend this book and think it's a highly important read。 I imagine it has and will ruffle a lot of feathers， but change sometimes requires an unflinching and hard look at reality。 This is a book that does that。 。。。more
Ang
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Phew， this was a gross read。 （Gross in the sense of "I can't believe men are behaving this way except I can but it's disgusting anyway。"） I don't know what else to say except if you're looking to see a） why Evangelicals supported Trump and b） why they support sexual abusers this book will provide some answers。 Phew， this was a gross read。 （Gross in the sense of "I can't believe men are behaving this way except I can but it's disgusting anyway。"） I don't know what else to say except if you're looking to see a） why Evangelicals supported Trump and b） why they support sexual abusers this book will provide some answers。 。。。more
Matt Tolander
，
An urgently needed warning， and I suspect a healing book for others like me who were brought up in precisely the kind of church and parenting environments under discussion。 Ought to be the Christianity Today book of the year。
Caseyfast
，
Sad but accurate account of evangelicals gone wrong。 The good news is that not all Christians are like John Wayne。
Mary A
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Well researched and detailed outline of the “American Taliban” rise to power。
Hannah
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A really comprehensive guide to the history of the Evangelical movement。 It expounds on Christian culture in a way I haven't seen a book do before。 I loved it。 A really comprehensive guide to the history of the Evangelical movement。 It expounds on Christian culture in a way I haven't seen a book do before。 I loved it。 。。。more
BpB
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So interesting and worthwhile！ Loved it。
Olivia Newell
，
Cannot say enough how important this book it。 Unpacks the white evangelical backing of Trump and how this support was not a betrayal of their values but actually a culmination and fulfillment of the militant Christian masculinity white evangelicals have been pursuing for half a century。 Personally this book was incredibly helpful and validating。 my first experiences of Christianity were in heavily evangelical spaces and so many things I learned in those first years were explained in this book。 H Cannot say enough how important this book it。 Unpacks the white evangelical backing of Trump and how this support was not a betrayal of their values but actually a culmination and fulfillment of the militant Christian masculinity white evangelicals have been pursuing for half a century。 Personally this book was incredibly helpful and validating。 my first experiences of Christianity were in heavily evangelical spaces and so many things I learned in those first years were explained in this book。 How theology was developed to support motives around power， politics， and patriarch。 Reading this helped me deconstruct and feel justified in my unlearning and opposition to so much I was taught。 This book is a must read and I have so many more thoughts。 Would love to chat with anyone who reads and unpack more。 。。。more
Monika
，
How do I start？ Where do I start？ There is so much in this book， and it got more and more infuriating with every page。In Jesus and John Wayne， Kristin Kobes Du Mez outlines exactly what brought white American evangelicalism to the profound state of corruption we see today， and why it's so easy for people to be carried along with it。A heads up: This book may be intensely triggering if you have past church trauma or you've been on the receiving end of religious hate。Du Mez takes us through the How do I start？ Where do I start？ There is so much in this book， and it got more and more infuriating with every page。In Jesus and John Wayne， Kristin Kobes Du Mez outlines exactly what brought white American evangelicalism to the profound state of corruption we see today， and why it's so easy for people to be carried along with it。A heads up: This book may be intensely triggering if you have past church trauma or you've been on the receiving end of religious hate。Du Mez takes us through the past 75 years of American history， culture， and politics to help us understand what brought us to this point and why。 Get ready for a nauseating look into Christian consumer culture， patriarchal gender traditionalism， militarism and fear-mongering， militant white masculinity， submissive femininity， Christian nationalism， and political power plays， all forged along the path of American imperialism。What I found especially terrifying was how easy it was for evangelicals to take legitimate fears Americans had due to world events， and stoke that anxiety so that they could dive in and be the protector。 James Dobson had an enormous influence on inserting evangelicalism into the American military， resulting in the dominionist ideals we see in many politicians today。She covers the close ties between fundamentalism and evangelicalism， which explains why it's sometimes hard to tell the difference between the two。 She helps us see how evangelicals played the long game through their branding， "replacing traditional denominational authorities with the authority of the market and the power of consumer choice。" This helped them appeal to a wide audience， winning people over and gaining more followers。 This is why you see members of mainline （or even progressive） denominations consuming， for example， books by evangelical authors。So yeah， Jesus and John Wayne is a difficult book to read， content-wise。 I felt sick to my stomach most of the time。 But it's an important read， and if you've ever wondered why there are people who are okay with all of this， you'll gain a whole lot of insight。 。。。more
Colin
，
This book is a response to the question "why did all these evangelicals support Trump？" with the thesis that militant masculinity has always been present in white American evangelicalism， and that the support of Trump is more of the same with the mask off。 It's presented with a pretty horrifying （or familiar， for those who grew up in evangelicalism， and no less horrifying for it） package of evangelical history and culture with all the toxic masculinity laid bare。 Having grown up in evangelicalis This book is a response to the question "why did all these evangelicals support Trump？" with the thesis that militant masculinity has always been present in white American evangelicalism， and that the support of Trump is more of the same with the mask off。 It's presented with a pretty horrifying （or familiar， for those who grew up in evangelicalism， and no less horrifying for it） package of evangelical history and culture with all the toxic masculinity laid bare。 Having grown up in evangelicalism， the experience of reading this is like going on a roller coaster after having gone on it years ago as a kid - I kind of know what to expect but the ride is still an intense experience。 。。。more
Taylor Anderson
，