by John Ellis In 1954, the CIA initiated and supported a coup to remove Jacobo Arbenz from the office of President of Guatemala, an office to which he had been democratically elected in 1951. President Arbenz’s crime? He was in the process of nationalizing large tracts of rich farmland. Here’s the backstory: Going all the … Continue reading The Republican Party Is Neither Pro-Life Nor Pro-Family
Category: White Evangelicalism
Florida: “There’s No Such Thing as Structural Racism!” Also Florida: Codifies Structural Racism
by John Ellis One of the sleights-of-hand utilized by the anti-CRT crowd involves crowing that racism is no longer codified in America. They point to the Civil Rights Acts and SCOTUS decisions of the mid-twentieth century (even while attempting to reverse those Acts and decisions) and huff, “See, racism is now illegal in this country. … Continue reading Florida: “There’s No Such Thing as Structural Racism!” Also Florida: Codifies Structural Racism
John Fea Takes on Jack Hibbs Claim that George Washington Would be Included in the Bible if It Were Written Today
by John Ellis John Fea is an evangelical historian who is professor of history and chair of the history department at Messiah University in Pennsylvania. As an evangelical scholar, he takes flak from both his right and his left. I don't agree with everything he says (which is true of every historian I read) but … Continue reading John Fea Takes on Jack Hibbs Claim that George Washington Would be Included in the Bible if It Were Written Today
Why I Write About/To White Evangelicals
by John Ellis I almost titled this article “You’re so Vain, You Think this Article Is about You,” but decided against it. I don’t mind being provocative if it serves my thesis, but I’ve been writing long enough to know that tongue-in-cheek titles rarely land the way I intend. At best, they come across as … Continue reading Why I Write About/To White Evangelicals
Biblical Critical Theory: The Enlightenment Tempts Us to Eat from The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
by John Ellis “Therefore, no doubt, the sovereignty of man lieth hid in knowledge.” Francis Bacon[1] The masterful book The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by anthropologist David Graeber and comparative archaeologist David Wengrow challenges the prevailing Western story about human progress. The first chapter, “Farewell to Humanity’s Childhood,” wonders, “why the … Continue reading Biblical Critical Theory: The Enlightenment Tempts Us to Eat from The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
‘Sound of Freedom’: Smuggling QAnon Conspiracies into Our Churches
by John Ellis What do you get when you cross a QAnon promoting, MAGA actor with a glory hound who uses a very real and devastating issue as a tool for self-promotion? You get Sound of Freedom, the movie currently capturing the hearts of minds of white evangelicals near you. With a production budget just … Continue reading ‘Sound of Freedom’: Smuggling QAnon Conspiracies into Our Churches
Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?
by John Ellis July 4th is upon us. For many Americans, it’s a High Holy Day complete with a baptism of cheap beer, communion with hotdogs, and a doxology of fireworks as they celebrate the founding of what they believe is the greatest nation on earth. There is a large subset within those celebrants who … Continue reading Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?
‘Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets’ Exposes the Darkness of Christian Fundamentalism (and Provides a Warning to All White Evangelicals)
by John Ellis (As a head’s up: The footnotes in this article are important. You don’t want to skip them.) When 17 Kids and Counting – eventually 18 Kids and then 19 Kids and Counting – first began airing on TLC in 2008, it quickly became a hit in white evangelical circles. It was embraced … Continue reading ‘Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets’ Exposes the Darkness of Christian Fundamentalism (and Provides a Warning to All White Evangelicals)
Critical Race Theory and Christianity Are Not at Odds
by John Ellis As I’ve continued to study Critical Race Theory (CRT), my appreciation and respect for the complex system of theories has deepened. As a Christian who believes in the Fall and the subsequent Curse, I understand that relationships between humans are now a gross perversion of God’s original design. Sin is malignant, and … Continue reading Critical Race Theory and Christianity Are Not at Odds
Ron DeSantis: Christian Nationalism’s Desired Prince for Their Faux New Jerusalem?
by John Ellis Are you familiar with The Turner Diaries by William Luther Pierce? For those old enough to remember the Oklahoma City bombing, muted memory bells may be sounding in your head. The book was published in 1978 and quickly became the bible for the growing white nationalist movement, including serving as inspiration (and … Continue reading Ron DeSantis: Christian Nationalism’s Desired Prince for Their Faux New Jerusalem?
Practically Known Theology 