The book delves into the history of American evangelicalism, focusing on how white evangelicals have promoted a militant, patriarchal form of masculinity that has aligned with figures like John Wayne and, more recently, Donald Trump. Du Mez argues that this form of masculinity has been central to the political and social transformations within white evangelicalism, leading to the strong support for Trump despite his controversial character. The book also critiques the abuse and corruption within evangelical leadership and explores the broader implications for American society and politics.
In this book, Robert P. Jones delivers a groundbreaking analysis of the symbiotic relationship between Christianity and white supremacy in America. Drawing on history, public opinion surveys, and personal experience, Jones argues that white Christians have not just been complacent or complicit but have actively constructed and sustained a project of protecting white supremacy and opposing black equality. The book exposes how deeply racist attitudes have become embedded in white Christian identity and calls for an honest reckoning with the past and work toward repair in the present. Jones emphasizes that this is not just a matter of moral obligation but also essential for the integrity of white Christianity and the future of the American experiment.
When the media talks about the evangelical vote today, what or to whom are they referring? Who are the people who self-identify in this way? Should we understand them as a group defined by their faith, their style of worship, by distinctive theological positions – or has the term evangelical itself become so politicised that in practice it is now most meaningfully understood as shorthand for a group of mainly white voters characterised by their opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights?
Presenter: Adam Smith, Orsborn Professor of US Political History at Oxford and Director of the Rothermere American Institute
Guests:
EJ Dionne, is a distinguished journalist and author, political commentator, and longtime op-ed columnist for the Washington Post. He is also a Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, a government professor at Georgetown University, and co-author of the recent New York Times bestseller One Nation Under Trump, author of Souled Out, and Why the Right Went Wrong, among others. His most recent book, released last year, is Code Red: How Progressives And Moderates Can Unite To Save Our Country.
David Campbell is the Packey J. Dee Professor of American Democracy at the University of Notre Dame and the director of the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative. His research focuses on civic and political engagement, with particular attention to religion and young people. Campbell’s most recent book is Secular Surge: A New Fault Line in American Politics (with Geoff Layman and John Green), which received the Distinguished Book Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Among his other books is American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us (with Robert Putnam), winner of the award from the American Political Science Association for the best book on government, politics, or international affairs
Kristin Kobes Du Mez is a New York Times bestselling author and Professor of History and Gender Studies at Calvin University. She holds a PhD from the University of Notre Dame and her research focuses on the intersection of gender, religion, and politics. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, Religion News Service, and Christianity Today, and has been interviewed on NPR, CBS, and the BBC, among other outlets. Her most recent book is Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation.
The Last Best Hope? is a podcast of the Rothermere American Institute at the University of Oxford. For details of our programming go to rai.ox.ac.uk
Producer: Emily Williams. Presenter: Adam Smith
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The Last Best Hope? 
