logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2024
39m 10s

The political power of white Evangelical...

NPR
About this episode
For decades, Evangelicals have propped up Republican presidents. And while church attendance has fallen across the board, Evangelicals are still making waves politically; they just helped deliver Trump a historic win in the Iowa caucus. But the political bent of Evangelicals begs for closer inspection because white Americans who align with Trump are more likely to start identifying as Evangelical, even if some of them no longer sit up in the pews. NPR Political Correspondent Sarah McCammon joins the show to dig into host Brittany Luse's question: are Evangelicals now a religious group or a political one?

Then, after calls for a ceasefire interrupted President Biden's speech at Mother Emanuel AME Church, many people denounced the protest saying that it was not the right time or place. But Brittany wonders; if not there, then where? She sits down with Dr. Anthea Butler, religious scholar and chair of the department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, to dive into the roots of political activism within the Black church. They also look at the complicated relationship between Democrats and the Black church.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Yesterday
Where did all the 'masculine men' go?
Has there been a decline in "masculine" men?Some women on Tiktok seem to believe so. The phrase, "Who's gonna be the boys?" has been used online to refer to all the mundane things men are doing that could be described as feminine: wearing earrings, having a skin care routine, and ... Show More
25m 37s
Sep 1
It's healthy to eat your feelings. Here's why.
Carla Lalli’s latest cookbook wants you to eat your feelings.After the end of her decades-long marriage, Lalli -- the former Bon Appétit editor whose cooking videos and cookbooks made her one of the internet's favorite chefs -- knew she had to do one thing: write about it. What e ... Show More
37m 21s
Aug 31
The rise of 'intentional living'
Does everyone need their own lawnmower?For a lot of people, living with your spouse and kids in a standalone house with a white picket fence is, more or less, the American dream. But people aren’t as likely to get married and have kids as they used to – and buying a house is more ... Show More
26m 37s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2022
Holy Roller Racism?
Although church and state are supposed to be separate, white evangelical power is a potent force in American politics. And it has historically been used to battle against racial equity. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Professor Anthea Butler, the author o ... Show More
26m 7s
Jan 2021
Is the US Church in the grip of political idolatry? Shane Claiborne & Johnnie Moore
<p class="x_MsoNormal">Following the pro-Trump riots and storming of Congress at Capitol Hill, many fear white evangelicals in the USA are in the grip of political idolatry in their support of the outgoing president.</p> <p class="x_MsoNormal">Justin is joined by Johnnie Moore wh ... Show More
1h 26m
Oct 2020
US election: Is God still on Donald Trump’s side?
In 2016, 80 percent of white Evangelicals voted for President Trump. How has he repaid them? And four years on, can one of the largest denominations of any religion in the US help him stay in the White House? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The ... Show More
29m 9s
Jan 2022
Why Trump Still Looms Large In Many Evangelical Congregations
During his time in office, former President Donald Trump embraced a Christian nationalist stance; the idea that the U.S. is a Christian country and should enforce those beliefs. Now, despite being out of office for nearly a year, those beliefs continue to spread. NPR corresponden ... Show More
10m 40s
Aug 2019
Sermon - Christian Racism?
<p>Paul Axton preaches: The election of Donald Trump and evangelical support for Trump is a living proof that white supremacy is alive and well, not in spite of, but because of evangelical Christians. Is a faith that requires oppression and exclusion, which explicitly tolerates a ... Show More
24m 54s
Oct 2021
For White Evangelicals, The Identity Is About More Than Religious Faith
In the latest installment of the Politics Podcast book club, NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben interviews Calvin University historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez about Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation.Interested in being a part of our next co ... Show More
15m 6s
Sep 2021
French Friday - "Buckets of Evangelicals"
<p>Senior editor of The Dispatch and constitutional attorney, David French, and Holy Post co-host, Skye Jethani, discuss why the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention should waive their attorney-client privilege in the ongoing abuse investigation. Then, French ex ... Show More
58m 37s