Jesus and John Wayne and Changes in Evangelicalism

[Howl]

Also posted on the Beth Moore thread; it's all related. 

Another article covering this topic.  

The Post-Trump Crack-Up of the Evangelical Community  Its embrace of an ignominious president is forcing a long-overdue reckoning with the movement’s embrace of white supremacy and illiberal politics.

By the way, I don't think there's a huge breaking apart of the Evangelical/fundy community just because the inherent racism/misogyny of a lot of white Evangelicals has been exposed following the January 6th insurrection.  There's no earthquake of introspection -- it's still monolithic, as is unwavering support for Trump.  The shit-storm of blow back aimed at Beth Moore makes this point quite well. 

[Howl]

Just came across article post about  evangelicals/ex-evangelicals (probably mostly women) forming book clubs to discuss books like Jesus and John Wayne.  

Evangelical disillusionment is finding a home in book clubs  Evangelicals who are questioning often do so in isolation — but some are now looking for community. And they’re finding it in book clubs, reading the growing market of deconstructionist and justice-oriented literature.

Bibliography of texts referenced in the article, all published in 2020  or 2021. 

The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism  and How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice by Jamar Tisby

Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by Aimee Byrd

The Myth of the American Dream: Reflections on Ay ffluence, Autonomy, Safety, and Power by D. L. Mayfield

The Great Sex Rescue: The Lies You've Been Taught and How to Recover What God Intended by Sheila Wray Gregoire

The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr

White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America by Anthea Butler

Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope by Esau McCaulley

Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology, and Identity by Robert Chao Romero

Also of potential interest:  ‘The Deconstructionists Playbook’ outlines ways forward for questioning Christians  Our Bible App launched a Kickstarter campaign earlier this month to raise money to create a devotional book for not only deconstructing faith but also reconstructing and 'liberating' it.

 

 

Edited March 26, 2021 by Howl

[NachosFlandersStyle]

I started this in audio format but gave up pretty quickly because I found the narrator grating. However, I saw on the author's twitter page that she has this coming out in a year or two, and I am *so* excited:

Edited March 29, 2021 by NachosFlandersStyle

[Howl]

And one more: 

 

[Ozlsn]

1 hour ago, Howl said:

And one more: 

 

This is really not going to help with my backlog of podcasts!!

[Howl]

For non Tweeps, the twitter thread is unrolled here: 

I have finished "Jesus and John Wayne." I highly, highly recommend it.

[CTRLZero]

I bought this book yesterday and so far have skimmed the first chapters.   It’s helpful that I’ve been a member of FJ long enough that I know some of the cast of characters so they aren’t just names to me.  Thanks for the recommendation!  

[Howl]

From Twitter today: Dr. Tarango @atarango1 (American religious historian at Trinity Univ. (TX) specializing in Native American and Latino religious traditions.)

re: Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin DuMez and Anthea Butler's White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America

"Finished this today and although I’m a scholar of non-white (Native and Latinx) Protestantism and knew so many of the examples in the book, it is really something to see them all together with such a great argument. Congrats @kkdumez for this great piece of public scholarship.

Also when read alongside @AntheaButler‘s book it’s like a banquet of white evangelical issues. Butler’s book entirely focuses on race and together with Du Mez on masculinity you really realize how much white evangelicalism is defined by cultural issues, not biblicism."

[Jasmar]

I’m currently reading Bart Ehrman’s The History of Heaven and Hell, and finished Pete Enn’s The Bible Tells Me So earlier this year. I’ve learned/am learning a lot about how Christian belief was shaped by the belief systems and mythologies of various ancient cultures. It’s both fascinating and frustrating, because I can see how fundigelical beliefs, which are so freaking harmful to both individuals and whole societies, are largely smoke and mirrors. At best they’re a bunch of cobbled-together ideas designed to keep the ruling class firmly in place, both at the family and societal levels.

[Howl]

More good stuff: 

 

[MamaJunebug]

Welp, I’ve got my request list for my local lending library!  Thank you all !!!

[Howl]

Damn, this is a fine, fine, very  fine article  published online by Baptist News Global about the Theobros (obnoxious theological dude bros): Meet the Theobros, who want you to know they’re right about everything

Kristin Du Mez, Kathy Barbini, Sheila Gregoire and Chrissy Stroop were interviewed for this article. 

Some tasty snippets to get you started. 

First, meet the Theobros and their mission: 

Quote

...there lives a group of men, mostly white, who put on their armor, saddle up and ride into the glorious battlefield known as Twitter. They alone wear the belt of truth as they stand firm against the wiles of the Devil.Who are these men?  They are the Theobros. Their mission? Correcting women’s theology on Twitter.

And this is the dudebro heritage, because when you're right, you're really right and you just go ahead and murder the people who disagree with your rightness.

Quote

...the father of Reformed Protestant theology, Ulrich Zwingli, worked with the Zurich city council to arrest and drown those who were guilty of refusing to baptize infants and of performing believer’s baptism instead...With Zwingli’s leadership, the Tauferjager (Anabaptist-hunters) hunted down women and men to drown them and take away their children.

And the powerful summary: 

Quote

While Zwingli and Calvin sent out “Heretic Hunters” in order to hunt down and drown those who theologically disagreed with them about baptism, the Theobros are fantasizing about following in their footsteps by hunting down and drowning out the voices of women, especially women of color and trans women who disagree with them about any number of issues that threaten their power.

 

Edited June 29, 2021 by Howl

[Howl]

On 6/24/2021 at 9:32 AM, MamaJunebug said:

Welp, I’ve got my request list for my local lending library!  Thank you all !!!

Woohoo.  Just got this email from my library and I hope you get one like it soon! 

The items that you requested below are now available for pickup. 
Jesus and John Wayne : how white evangelicals corrupted a faith and fractured a nation
      Du Mez, Kristin Kobes,
      call number:277.3083 DU                                  
        Pickup by:7/19/2021

[fundiewatch]

I just got a copy from the library too! I had it on request and bam, right there on the shelf. 

[hoipolloi]

Just started reading this interesting article in The New Yorker, in which Beth Allison Barr and Kristen Kobes du Mez visit Magnolia, Chip & Joanna Gaines' empire in Waco, TX:

Quote

The historians moved through a crowd of women wearing linen sundresses and eating popsicles, and approached a clapboard church with scalloped shingles which stood in the center of the courtyard. According to a faux-historical plaque outside, Joanna Gaines had discovered the abandoned church, which was built in 1894, in a nearby neighborhood, closed and boarded up. She bought, transported, and rebuilt it at the mall, where it became the centerpiece of an idealized Christian setting. Although the picnic tables and stores were packed with hot but eager fans, the cool church stood empty. Barr and Du Mez ducked inside and were alone. They looked around at the empty wooden racks bolted to the pews, which, in the past, would have held individual glasses for communion wine. “Isn’t it interesting that this is one place where no one is?” Du Mez said.

 

[Howl]

22 hours ago, hoipolloi said:

in which Beth Allison Barr and Kristen Kobes du Mez visit Magnolia

I first read that as "Beth Allison Barr and Kristen Kobes du Mez visit Mongolia" but interesting either way. 

Also, my sense is that women literally pilgrimage to Magnolia, so even more ironic that the little chapel is empty. 

I'm even more surprised that Magnolia hasn't developed a wedding and event venue to go with Magnolia. 

Odd magnolia detail:   Texas, including Waco, had The Big Freeze this winter in February.  Hundreds of trees died in my neighborhood alone; they had just set their leaf buds when the week of freezing weather/ice storm hit.  However, the magnolias were unfazed and were blooming away this spring and into early summer, which has been a bit cooler and wetter than normal.

[MamaJunebug]

I recently heard the pastor of a Waco congregation say, of their church building, “We’re right by the silos!” 

[Bastet]

I can’t seem to get it to show here, but “Christian Rightcast” is interesting. Most recent episode (?) is “Wilson Family Values.” Haven’t listened to that one yet.  

[Howl]

14 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Most recent episode (?) is “Wilson Family Values.”

Aaaaah, would that be the Doug Wilsons of Moscow, ID?

[Bastet]

12 hours ago, Howl said:

Aaaaah, would that be the Doug Wilsons of Moscow, ID?

This is the Christian Rightcast summary:

“Despite a history of eye-popping apologia for slavery, Doug Wilson Wilson has become a key crossover figure for Reconstructionism. In this episode, Jeff and Kristin examine his latest material as well as his son's secular YA novels.”

[JermajestyDuggar]

8 hours ago, Bastet said:

This is the Christian Rightcast summary:

“Despite a history of eye-popping apologia for slavery, Doug Wilson Wilson has become a key crossover figure for Reconstructionism. In this episode, Jeff and Kristin examine his latest material as well as his son's secular YA novels.”

What are his son’s novels titled?

[Howl]

  

37 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

What are his son’s novels titled?

Nate Wilson has quite a few Young Adult fiction titles. His books are listed on Amazon HERE. 

Edited July 29, 2021 by Howl

[JermajestyDuggar]

4 minutes ago, Howl said:

  

Nate Wilson has quite a few Young Adult fiction titles. His books are listed on Amazon HERE. 

Based on the synopsis of the 100 cupboards series, my older son would probably like them. Funny that I may end up with a few copies in my house!

[shesinsane]

I got the audiobook based this thread, thank you all for the recommendation! I'm only on Chapter 3 and due to my membership in Free Jinger, I have recognized almost all of the people mentioned.

See also: when the reader said "Doug Phillips" and I automatically responded "is a tool." 

[Bluebirdbluebell]

Here is another list of Nate Wilson's books. He writes under the name N. D. Wilson.  If he's anything like his father, I would be careful about buying the books.