In their respective works, Tim Alberta's "The Church of America: My Father, My Faith, and Donald Trump" and Andrew Whitehead's "Taking Back America for God: Christian Nationalism in the US" present profound observations regarding the complex interplay of religion, politics, and identity in modern-day America. Alberta's introspective account in "The Church of America" delves into the motivations and experiences of evangelical Christians who supported Donald Trump despite moral qualms. Alberta draws from his own upbringing in a devoutly Christian family to illuminate the cultural anxieties and generational divides within evangelical communities. He navigates the complexities of faith and political allegiance, blending personal anecdotes with …show more content…
In "The Church of America," Alberta offers a nuanced examination of how evangelical Christians, often associated with fundamentalist beliefs, navigated their support for Trump despite his personal conduct and political controversies. He delves into the motivations and perspectives of individual believers, exploring how they reconciled their religious values with their political allegiance. Throughout the book, Alberta emphasizes the role of cultural and generational factors in shaping evangelical attitudes towards and against Trump. As Alberta put it, "Truth be told, I did see evangelicals divided into two camps—one side faithful to an eternal covenant, the other side bowing to earthly idols of nation and influence and fame," he then goes on to attest to different Christian values and behaviours shared by his father and his churchgoers, outlining how "Evangelical soon became synonymous with conservative Christian and eventually with white conservative republican" (Alberta, 90-92). Alberta attributed this divide and association to things like the perception among many evangelicals that Trump was a defender of religious freedom and conservative values, alongside his stance against abortions and support for Israel. Furthermore, Trump's populist rhetoric and outsider status appealed to evangelicals who felt marginalized or ignored by the political establishment. Trump's …show more content…
Whitehead traces the historical roots of Christian nationalism, illustrating how fundamentalist beliefs about the role of Christianity in American history and identity have contributed to the development of nationalist ideologies. He examines the ways in which fundamentalist teachings about the importance of preserving a perceived Christian heritage have fueled efforts to assert the dominance of Christianity in American society and politics. As Whitehead puts it, "Christian nationalism is a cultural framework--a collection of myths, traditions, symbols, narratives, and value systems--that idealizes and advocates a fusion of Christianity with American civic life" (Whitehead, 10). Furthermore, Whitehead delves into the political implications of Christian nationalism, highlighting its role in shaping political discourse and mobilizing support for conservative causes. He argues that Christian nationalists often prioritize their religious identity over other social and political affiliations, leading to a convergence of fundamentalist beliefs with partisan politics. Overall, Whitehead's examination of Christian nationalism suggests that Christian nationalists seek to impose their vision of morality and social order on
In the first chapter of Nathan Hatch’s book, The Democratization of American Christianity, he immediately states his central theme: democratization is central to understanding the development of American Christianity. In proving the significance of his thesis, he examines five distinct traditions of Christianity that developed in the nineteenth century: the Christian movement, Methodists, Baptists, Mormons and black churches. Despite these groups having diverse structural organization and theological demeanor, they all shared the commonality of the primacy of the individual conscience.
Writing in the late 1980s, Herbert Schlossberg provides a thorough analysis of current trends in American culture in his book Idols for Destruction: The Conflict of Christian Faith and American Culture. Many scholars have examined Western civilization and concluded that we are in its declining years. Some use analogies of space: rise, zenith, and fall; others use analogies of biology: birth, maturity, and death. Schlossberg refuses to see all cultures as following these patterns, but rather attempts to use the concept of judgment, based on the biblical example of the prophets: “With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction” (Hos. 8:4). If the idols are destroyed, and we return to worship the true God, we can expect God’s blessing. However, if we continue down the road of idolatry, our culture will certainly be judged just as many cultures that went before us.
The Democratization of American Christianity, by Nathan Hatch, was written to expound in depth the recounting of the five major mass movements of the nineteenth century. Nathan Hatch has been noted as one of the most influential scholars in the study of the history of religion in America. In his book, he profoundly writes to his readers to clarify how “The wave of popular religious movements that broke upon the United States, in the half century after independence did more to Christianize America than
During the Antebellum period in America, the country’s thoughts were changing drastically. Escape from religious persecution was a key player in many minds when choosing to come to America and so it became a melting pot simmering with multiple thoughts and ideals. The European Protestants, Roman Catholics, and African American religions were forced to intermingle and the unique qualities of each were particularly useful in the establishment of personal validity (Fox 201, 202). After the American Revolution, most Republicans argued that churches, “brandished superstitious dogmas and mysteries that kept people in the dark about the rational capacities of their own minds” (Fox 159). On the flip side of this, “a few Republicans such ...
The American Evangelical Story: A History of the Movement, by Douglas A. Sweeney. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2005. 208 pages. Reviewed by Susan L. Schulte.
New brands of distinctly American Christianity began developing early in the country’s history. Before the revolution, George Whitefield set the stage for American religious movements. The most important factor that helped launch these movements was the American Revolution. The country was ripe with conversation and action on a new understanding of freedom. The revolution “expanded the circle of people who considered themselves capable of thinking for themselves about issues of … equality, sovereignty, and representation” (6). The country was beginning to move toward an understanding of strength lying in the common people, and the people’s ability to make their own personal decisions on issues of leadership and authority. There was a common belief that class structure was the major societal problem. The revolution created the an open environment that pushed equality of the individual, allowing political and religious beliefs to flourish and grow without being held in check by authoritarian leaders.
In Nathan O. Hatch’s “The Democratization of American Christianity” he quickly forms his thesis and expands on the argument “both that the theme of
Richard J. Carwardine, Evangelicals and Politics in Antebellum America (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993).
Gaustad, Edwin S. The Religious History of America: The Heart of the American Story from Colonial Times to Today. N.p.: HarperOne, 2004. Print.
Christianity’s role in America has rapidly changed over the last decades. Although it is still the most popular religion in the country its power over the people has decreased significantly. However, there are still many misconceptions towards American Christianity and in order to understand the unique nature of this religiously diverse country; one must understand its history and its citizens own views on the matter.
With sounds of youthful laughter, conversations about the students’ weekends, and the shuffling of college ruled paper; students file into their classrooms and find their seats on a typical Monday morning. As the announcements travel throughout the school’s intercoms, the usual “Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance” becomes no longer usual but rather puzzling to some students. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.” Confusion passes through some of the student’s minds. With the reoccurrence of “God” in the backdrop of American life, the relationship between church and state has become of little to no matter for American citizens just as it has with American students. While congress makes no law respecting an establishment of religion, the term “freedom of religion” presents itself to no longer be the definition of “free”, while also having its effects on debates today. According to Burt Rieff, in Conflicting Rights and Religious Liberty, “Parents, school officials, politicians, and religious leaders entered the battle over defining the relationship between church and state, transforming constitutional issues into political, religious, and cultural debates” (Rieff). Throughout the 20th century, many have forgotten the meaning of religion and what its effects are on the people of today. With the nonconformist society in today’s culture, religion has placed itself in a category of insignificance. With the many controversies of the world, religion is at a stand still, and is proven to not be as important as it was in the past. Though the United States government is based on separation of church and state, the gover...
In the words of Joseph Margulies, “National identity is not fixed, it is made.” Through the event of 9/11 our national identity has changed significantly. Before we dive into the now and the changed national identity, lets set a foundation of where national identity started. In the nineteenth century, Protestant Americans were incomparably dominate. It was argued that the Enlightenment and the Western intellectuals of the eighteenth century were still the foundation of national identity in the nineteenth century. However, from the writer, Samuel Huntington, the religious foundations of American society were based off the Anglo-Protestant heritage. (Page 24) On the other hand, in Who Are We? The Challenges to America’s National Identity, the author stated the American culture was dwindling Anglo-Protestant heritage. The original values were based off the Anglo-Protestant heritage included liberty, equality, individualism, democracy, and the rule of law under a constitution. Later in the nineteenth century, the European heritage grew and the ideas of individual freedom, political democracy, and human rights grew as well. (Page 19) The nineteenth century introduced the “well-being and integrity of the community and the virtuous citizen’s obligations to the community’s welfare (page 20).”
Lopatto, Paul. Religion and the Presidential Election. Edited by Gerald M. Pomper. New York: Praeger, 2014.
Eck, Diana L. A New Religious America: How a "Christian Country" Has Now Become the World's Most Religiously Diverse Nation. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001. Print
Thomas, Oliver "Buzz". "How To Keep The 'United' In United States: Coping With Religious Diversity In The World's First 'New' Nation." Church & State Feb. 2007: 19+. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 1 Mar. 2013.