These evangelicals are showing an 'authentically biblical way to oppose Trump': scholar

02 August 2024

It isn't hard to find Christians who are vehement critics of 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. President Joe Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) are known for being devout Catholics; MSNBC's Al Sharpton and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia) are Baptist ministers.

But Trump enjoys a great deal of support among Christian nationalists and far-right white evangelical fundamentalists. And a heavy Religious Right turnout could be beneficial for him in November.

In an op-ed/guest essay published by The New York Times on August 3, however, author Eliza Griswold — who serves as director the Humanities Council's Program in Journalism at Princeton University in New Jersey — takes a look at evangelicals who are outspoken critics of the former president.

"In the aftermath of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump on July 13," Griswold explains, "a video with images of Jesus crowned with thorns, blood running down his face, followed by photos of the former president circulated on social media. Days later, at the Republican National Convention, the evangelist Franklin Graham endorsed Mr. Trump from the stage, saying that 'God spared his life.' But the idea of Mr. Trump as chosen by God has infuriated those evangelicals who believe that he stands in direct opposition to their faith."

Griswold, author of the new book "Circle of Hope: A Reckoning With Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church," adds, "Their existence highlights an often-overlooked fact about the American religious landscape: Evangelicals are not a monolith."

One such evangelical is pastor/author Jim Wallis, who told Griswold, "This isn't about being a Democrat or a Republican."

Another is Doug Pagitt. The evangelical pastor told Griswold, "We're specifically targeting those who want to detach their voting habits from the MAGA movement,”

Griswold argues that some anti-Trump evangelicals are "closer to the Mainline Protestant tradition" that she "grew up in."

"These evangelicals, who've long stood at the edge of their tradition, are eager to show fellow believers an authentically biblical way to oppose Mr. Trump," according to Griswold. "It remains to be seen whether the Democratic Party is willing to take these believers, who are also persuadable voters, seriously."

Eliza Griswold's full New York Times op-ed is available at this link (subscription required).

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