Princeton Seminary | Donald Trump, John Wayne and Jesus
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Donald Trump, John Wayne, and Jesus

The Distillery Season Six

How did Donald Trump become a hero for so many white evangelical Christians? White evangelical support for Trump was not surprising, according to Kristin Kobes Du Mez, professor of history and gender studies at Calvin University. In this episode, we talk about her book, Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, which explores how a popular Hollywood movie star helped to shape a cult of masculinity that put several presidents, including Trump, in the White House.

Photo Kristin Du Mez

Guests

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.

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Danielle Shroyer, Class of 1999

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