The Religious and Ethical Void of Trumpism & the Oddity of Trump Support Among Some Evangelical Christians

The rise of Donald Trump in U.S. Politics has accelerated a decline in public discourse over culture war issues; a decline that was already underway at a slower pace even before Trump. It has also emboldened religious conservatives and those opposed to LGBT rights, immigration, religious minorities, the environment and reproductive freedom. Trumpism is demonstrably authoritarian, resistant to facts, and heavily based on lies and memes that become self-justifying almost through sheer repetition in social media and right wing media. Yet, in all of this Trump has found an odd, and remarkably loyal, ally, namely, a large swath of socially conservative Evangelical Christians. They seem to ignore Trump’s obvious moral indiscretions, lies, and lack of care for the poor because they believe he can deliver them judges and victories on culture war issues. The hypocrisy of this has been repeatedly noted by commentators and scholars. Yet, it is part of a larger religious and ethical void created by Trumpism and needs to be understood in that broader socio-legal-religious context. In fact, data is emerging that suggests the social conservatives backing Trump may have made a faustian bargain that will cost them future generations or increasingly alienated young evangelicals who see the hypocrisy of their elders quite well. That same sort of bargain may help explain the support for Trump in other parts of society as well.

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Posted by IAFOR