Endorsements of Donald Trump by the leaders of evangelical organizations, such as Jerry Falwell, Jr. and James Dobson, have mystified outside observers and have frustrated many evangelicals. Based on my experience in several evangelical organizations led by a singular figurehead, I believe that many of these leaders do not merely see him as the preferable candidate for president. They resonate with him at a deeper level, seeing in him something of themselves.
Many of these leaders are older white men who built their institutions through the force of their charismatic personalities. They built constituencies and maintain them through strong rhetoric that forms clear boundaries to identify who is “in” and who is “out,” who is “safe” and who is “unsafe,” who are “friends” and who are “enemies.” Their organizations are involved in the culture war, seeking to influence the country by promoting Christian values and holding back the tide of growing threats to the faith. The Moral Majority and Focus on the Family are examples of this.
These leaders are suspicious of experts and scholars who see greater complexity in the world. They see people in black and white terms – good vs. evil, with us or against us. They envision the success of their organizations as validation of their views and may receive criticism or dissent as attack or persecution. They are not interested in parsing out fine distinctions since they feel that the causes they champion are so urgent and important. They often articulate the success or failure of their movements in apocalyptic terms – the future of our civilization is at stake!
They do not tolerate dissent within their organizations and will get rid of non-conformists, often violating agreed-upon terms of employment. They discourage or actively stifle dissenting opinions, labeling people who think differently as “disloyal” or even “dangerous.”
Many large evangelical organizations have traditionally served white America. For this reason, Donald Trump’s racially insensitive rhetoric – to put it mildly – does not offend evangelical organizational leaders, many of whose forebears were resistant to or critical of the civil rights movement. At the least, they have not historically been in solidarity with African- and Hispanic-Americans and view refugees and immigrants with suspicion.
Further, these leaders have stressed the submission of women in society, the church and the home. Donald Trump’s comments about women, while shocking to many, are not ultimately troubling for these leaders since for them, women have value insofar as they are living according to their “God-ordained” roles as wives and mothers.
When these leaders see Donald Trump, they see someone who is like them. His rhetoric, like theirs, prioritizes traditional white America. He wants to uphold the status quo, rhetorically labeling marginalized groups as threats to safety and security. This resonates with their militantly conservative posture in the culture wars.
The way they run their organizations is very similar to how he speaks about what he would do as president. Like them, he speaks in black and white terms, labeling people as “for” or “against” him. He is suspicious of experts and is strongly anti-intellectual. He has no time for complexity, for understanding the subtleties of issues and he does not tolerate dissent or value others’ opinions.
Further, many of the leaders of evangelical organizations have either been affected by or have themselves nurtured the hysterical paranoia about Hillary Clinton over the last 25 years. Their organizations are more or less aligned with the Republican Party so that there is little distinction. The leaders themselves, and those who populate the organizations, cannot imagine a person being loyal while not supporting a Republican candidate.
As an example, in 2012 two faculty members at an evangelical institution wrote an editorial in the school paper explaining why they were not voting for Mitt Romney. They did not mention the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, but the outcry from students, fellow faculty and constituents was overpowering, calling for their dismissal. To not actively support a Republican was to be a disloyal Christian.
Many evangelicals sense a strong dissonance with these evangelical leaders. Many of them, especially younger evangelicals, distrust megachurches, preferring churches that offer strong community and participation in local life. They are suspicious of large evangelical organizations that solicit donations. They prefer to be personally involved in bringing about social change. And they do not view social transformation in terms of culture wars, but want to engage others with compassionate and gracious postures. They have close friends among historically marginalized groups and are offended by the demonization of racial and ethnic minorities and the denigration of women. They are willing to question traditional visions of gender and sexuality.
There are doubtless other factors, but these are some reasons why, in my estimation, leaders of evangelical organizations embrace and endorse Donald Trump.
Faith Improvised 
Ted M. Gossard
Great insight here, Tim. I would hope that there are a good number of conservative evangelicals who think differently. I am a traditional conservative, but I don’t at all identify with the leaders spoken of here. Hopefully this election will expose and undermine this position, as you do here.
letmein2244
A lot of generalizations here, but I tend to agree.
gjohnston2244
A lot of generalizations, but I substantially agree.
gjohnston2244
Even though I am not a younger evangelical.
Matthew Perri
Tim,
You wrote QUOTE:
…..”younger evangelicals distrust megachurches, preferring churches that offer strong community and participation in local life. They are suspicious of large evangelical organizations that solicit donations.”
And regarding “Evangelical Leaders” you said QUOTE:
“They do not tolerate dissent within their organizations and will get rid of non-conformists….. They discourage or actively stifle dissenting opinions, labeling people who think differently as “disloyal” or even “dangerous.”
I didn’t see all the “Evangelical Leaders” speak, but I did see the talk of one very famous one. He had the platform to speak to probably 100’s of millions of people- did he quote Jesus? NO. He just quoted Paul the Pharisee, at length. He brought the voice of Paul, not the voice of Jesus.
In other words, these “Evangelical Leaders” are following the example of their hero, Paul the Pharisee, the abusive absentee “pastor” of the Church in Corinth. After founding this church, with help from Aquila and Pricilla, and staying there only 18 months, Paul then abandoned the church to go travelling around again mostly on his own, accountable to no one. Paul never appointed another leader, or allowed anyone else locally in Corinth to have any real authority in the Church.
Years later, while working full-time at his own school hundreds of miles away in Ephesus, Paul is still “Boss” of the church in Corinth, controlling all aspects. He was regularly sending in his young out-of-town helpers in to do “long-term temporary” pulpit supply (Timothy and Titus).
If you read Paul’s letters to various churches, your description of “Evangelical Leaders” here fits PAUL to a T. In Paul’s mind, he is always right about everything, and it’s everyone else who is the problem – Apollos, Peter, Barnabas, James, virtually everyone in Corinth….)
(2 Thessalonians 3:14, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, etc.)
Paul would not tolerate dissent within his organization and would get rid of non-conformists….. Paul discourages or actively stifled dissenting opinions, labeling people who think differently as “disloyal” or even “dangerous.”
But Paul literally didn’t know the first, most important thing about following Jesus. [Romans 13:8-10, Galatians 5:14 – compare those verses with the words of Jesus in the Gospels through the True Apostles.]
Jesus was asked twice which Commandment is the greatest or most important one, (Matthew 22 and Mark 12)
Both times Jesus answered quoting the same two commandments, from the Law of Moses.
Jesus said that one of these two commandments is the first and greatest most important one. Which one is it? The one in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, or the one in Leviticus 19:18 ?
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “ is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ [Mark 12:29-30, Deuteronomy 6:4-5]
Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” [Matthew 22:37-38, Deuteronomy 6:5]
Matthew Perri
The guest on the Sid Roth show tonight, Richard Booker, said we need to start proclaiming “The Gospel of the Kingdom”, not “The Gospel of Salvation.”
http://sidroth.org/television/tv-archives/richard-booker/?src=banner_tv
In other words, we need to start preaching the Gospel of Jesus –
not Paul’s false “gospel” ABOUT Jesus,
falsely claiming that Jesus “abolished the Law,”
or falsely claiming that “God doesn’t see the sins of Christians,”
or the ridiculous idea that there is no need to produce fruit in keeping with repentance, and it makes no difference at all what you do, or how you live in relation to God, all that matters is that one time you repeated “the magic words” of “the sinners prayer” an “altar call” and “made a decision for Christ”….. so that some greedy manipulative faraway stranger at the podium could boast and brag about it.
Matthew Perri
I am NOT criticizing President Trump here – I think he is trying to do the right thing, and I want to encourage him.
(although of course no one is perfect, except Jesus, and I don’t automatically endorse everything he says and does, or the way he says and does it – we all have room for improvement, including me…..)
I am calling out the “Evangelical Establishment”, who shut the door to the Kingdom of God in men’s faces. They are quick to quote Paul the False Apostle, but they marginalize or ignore the words of Jesus Himself, along with the Torah and the Prophets. People are looking for The Truth, looking for God. But religious people will give them a false, artificial substitute – Mormons give them Joseph Smith. Muslims give them Muhammad. Roman Catholics give them some version of “Mary” – Guadalupe, Lujan, Fatima, etc. And most Evangelicals give them Boss Paul the Pharisee.
davidbrainerd2
Which Senate Democrat’s aides did you outsource this blog post to?