Jesus and John Wayne

How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation

By: Kristin Kobes du Mez

Narrated by: Suzie Althens

Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

How did a libertine who lacks even the most basic knowledge of the Christian faith win 81 percent of the white evangelical vote in 2016? And why have white evangelicals become a presidential reprobate's staunchest supporters? These are among the questions acclaimed historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez asks in Jesus and John Wayne, which explains how white evangelicals have brought us to our fractured political moment.

Jesus and John Wayne is a sweeping account of the last 75 years of white evangelicalism, showing how American evangelicals have worked for decades to replace the Jesus of the Gospels with an idol of rugged masculinity and Christian nationalism. Evangelical popular culture is teeming with muscular heroes - mythical warriors and rugged soldiers, men like Oliver North, Ronald Reagan, Mel Gibson, and the Duck Dynasty clan, who assert white masculine power in defense of "Christian America." Chief among these evangelical legends is John Wayne, an icon of a lost time when men were uncowed by political correctness, unafraid to tell it like it was, and did what needed to be done.

A much-needed reexamination, Jesus and John Wayne explains why evangelicals have rallied behind the least-Christian president in American history and how they have transformed their faith in the process, with enduring consequences for all of us.

©2020 Kristin Kobes Du Mez (P)2020 Kalorama

Love the book, not the performance

This book is, hands down, one of the most important books I have read in my life. I am a pastor's wife and also deeply involved at one of the megachurches mentioned within these pages. All of this material was somehow deeply shocking and also entirely expected, as I saw so many similar things first hand. This book is required reading for all evangelicals and for anyone who would like to see a different reality than the one that is sadly and truthfully portrayed in this book.

Hold on to your seat

This book was illuminating and thought provoking. I am glad I took the leap and bought it.
My one problem with this audible is the last three chapters kept stopping every few minutes. I had to keep pressing play, to get to the end.

A Timely and Challenging expose

Kristin Kobe du Mez has given us a gift in tracing the roots and development of 'White Evangelical Masculinity and Militarism" along with it's outgrowth and effects. She is a punchy and writer with a frank style that keeps one's ears pricked, nevertheless she writes soberly. This is history but also a page turner. Read/listen with this in mind (because this is how she has written)--where and why have evangelicals gone outside of the Bible to define, and defend themselves? Then evaluate afresh, 'Is this what Christ has commanded?' du Mez reminds us in her conclusion "Appreciating how this ideology developed over time is essential for those who wish to dismantle it. What was once done might also be undone" (p304). After reading this I only thought she might conclude with the dictum 'Semper Reformanda!"

Eye Opener

This accessible and well researched book documents more than six decades of decision-making, hype and devotion to power that has brought the USA to its current state of disfunction. This cultural/political movement, claiming the title “Evangelical” is not what it pretends to be.

Outstanding Education In Important Subject

It is very important that the country not allow a small, zealous minority of religious extremists usurp power and redefine America into a Christian theocracy. To understand the context, this is a must read. I rarely say that, but started when on chapter 1 of this book. Talk about connecting the dots. Another thing I very rarely do is read a book twice. I started rereading today. Truly, it's that relevant and educational.

It can be difficult to take in the history of your own time.

This book lays out the history of Evangelical Christianity in the U.S.
How we got distracted. How we built idols. How we built a narrative that keeps us comfortable in our sin.

Enjoyed the book

I enjoyed the book. Coming from an evangelical background, and always feeling something was not quite right, I found this book enlightening. The only issue I had was the inflection style of the narrator.

Intriguing

This has been wildly informative, intriguing, and eye-opening. I appreciated the author’s delivery of cold hard facts. Reading this book has enlightened my understanding of the perspective claimed by many of my friends and family views regarding the United States of America, Christianity, other religions, and politics. Thank you Kristin Kobes du Mez for your expertise and tact in delivery a challenging but fact-based message.

Outstanding! Historical breakdown of present white evangelical Christianity

This book and its historical compilation should be required reading/listening for every American. The abhorrent manifestations of toxic masculine patriarchal manipulation of Christianity are so ingrained in our creative culture hard to even know it for what it is. While hard to digest, this is important and I am grateful for the author putting it together.

book is interesting, narration is off-putting

Update: the narratation. I just can't. Apparently it isn't AI narrated, only a poor performance. It's way to distracting and I'm not going to finish it.

I'm not far into the book, yet. However, the narratation itself is odd enough that I have to say something. It actually sounds automated - there are certain words that sounds EXACTLY the same no matter where they are in a sentence (evangelical being one of them and it's said a billion times in the introduction). Not a fan but I'm gonna keep going because I don't have time to read so I listen in the car.