A Modern Day Crusade?
My conversations with NPR and The Contrarian on the Trump administration's holy war theology.
Dear Redeeming Democracy readers,
Thanks for your patience as I’ve been on vacation over the last week and work travel into next week. We had a lovely family trip anchored in London and Dublin, with a mix of truly beautiful weather and gale force winds/rain a few days as well. Amid other things, we got in college visits at Oxford and Trinity, and we saw the awe inspiring Cliffs of Moher. A few travel updates: I’m currently still in Europe attending a conference on threats to academic freedom, then over to Yale Divinity School for a conference on public theology and public policy. If you’re in the Yale area, its’ not too late to register to attend.
In the meantime, it’s also been a busy media week, with the Trump administration ramping up its holy war rhetoric in increasingly desperate attempts to justify an unjustifiable war. Below, I’m sharing two recent conversations I had on NPR and with The Contrarian.
NPR: What happens when religious fundamentalists come to power?
My Conversation with Meghna Chakrabarti and Katherine Stewart
Show Description:
This is our second episode in our look at what happens to a nation when religious fundamentalism comes to power. This little pop-up series is inspired by questions you sent us when I asked you several weeks ago what you want to know about the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran. Today, we’ll discuss how Christian extremism came to influence the Trump administration and offer moral underpinnings for the new war in the Middle East.
Guests:
Katherine Stewart, journalist and writer. Author of the books “Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy” and “The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism.”
Robert Jones, president and founder of the Public Religion Research Institute. Author of many books, including, most recently, “Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation after the Christian Turn Against Democracy.”
The Contrarian: Are We Headed Towards a Modern Day Crusade? My Conversation with Jen Rubin
Here’s the description of our conversation:
America’s Secretary of Defense dreams of a modern day crusade. Yes, those crusades of the Middle Ages, where Christians would charge into a town and slaughter its Muslim population. Hegseth is hell-bent on turning this dream into reality.
But why? Where is this coming from? What level of influence is Christian
Nationalism having on our government officials. Thankfully, Robert P. Jones, President of the Public Religion Research Institute, joins Jen Rubin to explain it all. The two discuss Hegseth’s religiously charged tattoos, Trump’s refrigerator-magnet theology, the Democrats’ confirmation hearing fumble, and so much more.
Appreciated both interviews!! Thanks for making time to do both - and with Joy and the Convocation Unscripted, etc. Looking forward to your new book.