Homebrewed Christianity

Manifesting America: MAGA & the New Civil Religion

Feb 28, 2025

Explore America's shifting spiritual landscape, where traditional religion faces decline. Discover how the MAGA movement embodies a new civil religion rooted in self-creation and positive thinking. Unpack the tension between authentic community connections and commodification as seen through Trump's persona. Delve into the psychological dynamics of MAGA's authoritarian traits and its yearning for a mythic past. Gain insights into innovative theological education aimed at fostering transformative leadership in today’s polarized society.

22:54

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Quick takeaways

The MAGA movement exemplifies a new civil religion in America that emphasizes individual self-creation and nostalgia for a mythologized past.

Donald Trump's persona and rhetoric reflect a blend of authoritarianism and a desire for personal agency, challenging traditional frameworks of truth and meaning.

Deep dives

Emergence of a New Civil Religion

American spiritual life is witnessing the rise of a new civil religion, characterized by meanings, purpose, and community outside traditional religious institutions. As institutions decline, new frameworks are developing, with the MAGA movement exemplifying this trend through its fusion of self-making and reactionary ideologies. Notably, Donald Trump serves as a defining figure, embodying the belief that personal will and positive thinking can shape one's reality. This new spiritual landscape reflects a shift towards individual authority in matters of truth and meaning, replacing traditional religious frameworks with personal desire as the guiding force.

Intro

5min

The Theology of Self-Making and Community Commodification

4min

Pioneering Theological Education for Transformative Leadership

3min

The Psychological Dynamics of MAGA and Its Spiritual Implications

6min

Connecting through Community and Spiritual Growth

5min

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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This podcast is a Homebrewed Christianity production. Follow the Homebrewed Christianity, Theology Nerd Throwdown, & The Rise of Bonhoeffer podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 80,000 other people by joining our Substack - Process This! Get instant access to over 45 classes at www.TheologyClass.com

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