This is an audio version of an essay on my substack, Process This. The essay explores the evolving spiritual landscape of America, noting the decline of traditional religious institutions and the rise of new forms of meaning-making. Here, I examine how Donald Trump and the MAGA movement reflect a unique manifestation of a new civil religion, combining aspects of self-creation, positive thinking, and atavism. Historical context traces the roots of self-creation from Martin Luther's reforms through the Enlightenment and the rise of consumer capitalism. I highlight how Trump's persona and the MAGA movement resonate with American cultural consciousness, focusing on self-promotion, community, and opposition. It also explores the psychological and sociopolitical implications of this movement, the erosion of community, and the yearning for a mythological past, providing insights into the appeal and dangers of this modern spiritual-political fusion.

I hope you enjoy it and consider supporting my work by joining 80k+ other people on Process This. If you want to read or watch the essay, you will find it here on SubStack.

Resources:

(Book) Self-Made: Creating Our Identities from Da Vinci to the Kardashians, Tara Isabella Burton

(Book) The Expulsion of the Other: Society, Perception and Communication Today, Byung-Chul Han

(Lecture) Self-Creation, Tara Isabella Burton

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