The Holy Post
594: How Fear & Greed Corrupted American Evangelicalism with Tim Alberta
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Fear and a sense of being under siege played a significant role in shaping the beliefs and actions of evangelical Christians in America.
- Cultural changes, such as the legalization of same-sex marriage and discussions of transgender rights, fueled a sense of cultural revolution among evangelicals, leading to a stronger fear of persecution and a desire to protect their beliefs.
- Greed and the desire for financial gain have become intertwined with fear-mongering in the American evangelical movement, leading pastors and leaders to exploit fear for their own benefit.
Deep dives
The Rise of Fear and Division
The book explores how fear and a sense of being under siege played a significant role in shaping the beliefs and actions of evangelical Christians in America.
The Transformation of Evangelical Support
The author interviews figures like Robert Jeffress, who went from opposing a Mormon presidential candidate to becoming a vocal supporter of Donald Trump. The explanation given is that evangelicals felt increasingly under siege and saw Trump as a champion who would protect their values.
The Importance of Recognizing Historical Context
The book emphasizes the long history of evangelicalism feeling under attack, but also notes that the current wave of fear and division among evangelicals is different in that many genuinely believe in the imminent threat to their faith.
Understanding the Shift in the Cultural Landscape
The book highlights the significant cultural changes that have occurred in recent years, from the legalization of same-sex marriage to discussions of transgender rights. These changes have fueled a sense of cultural revolution among evangelicals, leading to a stronger fear of persecution and a desire to protect their beliefs.
The Americanized Version of Christianity and the Evangelicals' Support for Trump
The podcast explores how the Americanized version of Christianity, which sees America as divinely blessed and tasked with spreading the gospel, contributed to evangelicals' support for Donald Trump. The speaker emphasizes that evangelicals, who had internalized this view for decades, felt that the stakes were high during the Obama years and the beginning of the Trump presidency, leading them to embrace drastic measures and abandon old rules. Despite some pastors not genuinely believing the fear-mongering and persecution narratives they promoted, they recognized their effectiveness in mobilizing their congregations.
The Influence of Greed in the American Evangelical Movement
The podcast discusses the role of greed in the American evangelical movement and its alignment with fear-mongering. Many evangelical events and conferences have become platforms for shameless grifting, where vendors sell merchandise with profanity or unregulated products marketed as faith-based solutions. The podcast highlights how pastors and leaders, driven by the desire for financial gain and congregation growth, exploit fear to cater to their audiences. The speaker also explores the dilemma faced by pastors who avoid speaking out against lies, conspiracy theories, and ungodly values within their congregations for fear of risking their attendance and financial support.
Conspiracy theories, political idolatry, church divisions, and pastoral burnout. How do we explain what’s happened to the evangelical movement in America? Tim Alberta is a political journalist and staff writer for The Atlantic. His new book, “The Power, the Glory, and the Kingdom,” looks at how evangelicalism lost its way. As an evangelical himself, Alberta says fear and greed created the conditions for extremism to take over the movement. Also this week, surprising data after the Dobbs decision shows birthrates are up in states that banned abortion, but overall abortion rates nationwide are also higher. And should we use ChatGPT to interpret the Bible? Kaitlyn’s new article says probably not.
Holy Post Plus Extended Tim Alberta Interview
https://www.patreon.com/posts/94152371
0:00 - Intro
1:25 - Show starts
2:13 - Theme Song
2:35 - Sponsor - Faithful Counseling - Get 10% off your first month at www.FaithfulCounseling.com/HOLYPOST
3:45 - Are abortion rates increasing or decreasing
26:25 - Should AI interpret Scripture
48:13 - Sponsor - Sundays Dog Food - Get 35% off your first order of Sundays. Go to www.SundaysForDogs.com/HOLYPOST or use code HOLYPOST at checkout.
49:25 - Sponsor - Blueland - Get 30% off your first order by going to www.blueland.com/HOLYPOST
50:38 - Interview Intro
55:20 - What made evangelicals feel under siege
1:06:00 - Pervasive greed
1:13:00 - How Trumpism is impacting the local church
1:30:06 - End Credits
Links mentioned in news segment:
Our abortion video from 2020 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvWD7ykNjCc
The Daily: Ending Roe Was Supposed to Reduce Abortions. It Didn’t. on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily/id1200361736?i=1000636899810
Why Do We Want AI to Interpret Scripture?
Other resources:
The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism by Tim Alberta - https://amzn.to/418LPNb
Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/
Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus
Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost
Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop
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