Jesus and John Wayne, 18 minute interview with author

[♦ Fuego ♦]

When I wrote my unpublished book after deconversion in 2007, I was hoping to help unbelievers get a good look at the culture of Christianity, since most have not got one damn clue what church life is like. This professor is still a believer, though she would today be called a very liberal one by most churches. She is also a historian of American Christian belief and culture. Her book examines why believers don't look anything like believers did prior to the 1980s. 

 

Link to YouTube video interview

[pantheory]

On 5/6/2022 at 6:27 AM, Fuego said:

When I wrote my unpublished book after deconversion in 2007, I was hoping to help unbelievers get a good look at the culture of Christianity, since most have not got one damn clue what church life is like. This professor is still a believer, though she would today be called a very liberal one by most churches. She is also a historian of American Christian belief and culture. Her book examines why believers don't look anything like believers did prior to the 1980s. 

 

Link to YouTube video interview

 

The video and topic is kind of "cute," and the ideas of it have validity from a particular perspective. But the basis of it seems to be primarily political IMO. The religious right has a somewhat common agenda separate from conservatism in general. The religious right puts the Bible first, and the theme that the man is the head of the household and speaks with God, and the woman follows Gods Will interpreted for her by her husband, hence men should be the decision makers of the family in a macho like mentality such as John Wayne.

 

The normal perspective of the Right is fiscal conservatism. The Joke of it with some truth is:  that in the US the Democrats and Republicans usually want the same things concerning spending plans. The Democrats via legislation propose lots of spending bills, the republicans initiate few. The Democrats say let's do all of these things now, and the Republicans say a few of these things we can do now, but most we can't do now since collectively we can't afford most of them now. They could bankrupt us as a country, or make us a second class country. They agree that most of these proposed plans we should do someday when we can afford it. Again this is just a joke, but there is a truth to it also.

 

This is also a John Wayne type mentality. Rugged individual and family rights first. The collective welfare comes second when the family can afford it via taxes. In the same way rugged individualism (aka John Wayne mentality) says that people who think the same way should live in a State whose laws they agree with via States rights first, and the Federal Government should provide national defense  etc., but not interfere with local laws of the state that most people want. Of course this is my opinion of it concerning the meaning of John Wayne mentality.

[Orbit]

It's actually a very good book. Her explanation of the rise of the evangelical right is spot-on, and the focus on how the twisted Xtian gender ideas play out in politics is wonderful. Highly recommend.