Sons of Patriarchy Where Did Doug Wilson Come From?
Sep 29, 2025
Kristin Kobes Du Mez, a historian and author specializing in gender, religion, and politics, dives into the controversial rise of Doug Wilson, a pastor from Moscow, Idaho. She explores how Wilson evolved from a fringe figure to a major voice in evangelical circles, while examining the cultural shifts in the 1990s that fostered a demand for 'tough' theology. The discussion also highlights Wilson's connections to Christian Reconstructionism, his provocative communication style, and the strategic alliances he's built to expand his influence across American politics and evangelical communities.
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Reactionary Roots To 'Serrated' Christianity
- Doug Wilson emerged as a reaction to late 20th-century 'soft' evangelicalism that many saw as weak and non-confrontational.
- His style offered a serrated, militant alternative that appealed to people wanting firmness and cultural combat.
How Du Mez First Noticed Wilson
- Kristin Kobes Du Mez discovered Doug Wilson after students recommended John Eldredge's Wild at Heart and she then read Wilson's Future Men (2001).
- She found Wilson's militant masculine theology shocking and began investigating his wider influence.
Fringe Strategy Meets Respectable Platforms
- Wilson positioned himself as proudly outside the mainstream while being platformed and whitewashed by respectable evangelical leaders.
- That dynamic helped move him from fringe in the 1990s to influential proximity to mainstream by 2010.
