Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Evangelical Silence and Trump: A Reformation Irony

Evangelical Silence and Trump: A Reformation Irony

Last updated on: August 25, 2017 at 9:30 am by Beth Allison Barr

Evangelical Silence and Trump: A Reformation Irony 2017-08-25T09:30:27-04:00 Beth Allison Barr

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“Trump’s religious advisers have been mostly silent.”

Tom Gjelten wrote these words for NPR just days ago, in his aptly titled article “Trump’s Evangelical Advisers Stand By their Man.” In the aftermath of Trump’s shocking response to Charlottesville, the silence emanating from his Evangelical Advisory Board screamed. It seemed even louder after prominent business leaders and non-profit organizations publicly withdrew support from Trump, resigning advisory positions and cancelling business dealings. In the tweet-heard-round-the-world former republican strategist Matthew Dowd spoke what America seemed to be thinking: “Not a single member of Trump’s Evangelical Council has resigned. We have learned corporate America has a greater moral compass. So so sad.”

When members of the Evangelical Advisory board finally began to respond, their words echoed almost as disturbingly as their silence. Listen to what Johnnie Moore said. “We believe it would be immoral to resign…As faith leaders, we have been given an opportunity to speak directly to various members of the administration, to provide not just policy counsel but personal counsel. We’re personally involved in the lives of all these people, praying for all these people, and answering their questions.”

Did you hear that?

Instead of decrying Trump’s troubling remarks about the “very fine people” shouting Nazi slogans and carrying torches, the Evangelical Advisory Board gave Americans that “most hollow” of modern Christianeeze: “we are praying for you.”

While Denny Burke (not on the advisory council) wrote that Trump’s remarks were “morally bankrupt and completely unacceptable” and called for Christians to speak with conviction and urgency against white supremacy and racism, Jerry Falwell (on the advisory council) praised Trump as a “leader ” who made “bold truthful” statements about Charlottesville.” To be fair, some members of the council have vocally condemned white supremacy and hate groups. Johnnie Moore, as quoted by Christianity Today, protested, “EVERY evangelical I know condemns antisemitism, white nationalism, & supremacism.” Paula White simply said, “white supremacy is evil.”

But the overall response of Trump’s Evangelical Leaders has been slow. It isn’t surprising that NPR summed up evangelical leaders as “reluctant to challenge Trump directly.” Especially since several council members have continued to defend Trump’s comments. Robert Jeffress said: “If we’re going to denounce some racism, we ought to denounce all racism, and I believe that was the point the President was making.” Mark Burns tweeted, “We weren’t electing a pastor, we were electing a president, I don’t look for the president to be our moral compass.”

If you follow my citation links in the last paragraph, you will note most lead back to the Christianity Today article or to religion blogger Zack Hunter’s August 16 article . Both these pieces underscored for me how troubling the Evangelical Advisory Board response has been to Trump and Charlottesville. 10 of the 24 remaining council members (after A.R. Bernard resigned) have simply stayed silent, including James Dobson. Several others have followed the Johnnie Moore approach: “we are praying for you.” “Pray for peace in Charlottesville and across our nation,” said Robert Jeffress. “We need a renewal of grace. God help us,” said Paula White.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe in prayer. I know that prayer has carried me through so many parts of my life. As a historian, I know the stories of countless Christians who valued and pursued prayer (yes–medieval people prayed too! I will get back to that soon…).

Yet I worry that evangelicals have become too comfortable with hiding our inaction behind the guise of prayer. For the good of the church, for the sake of avoiding “division,” we choose silence over action. We comfort ourselves that we are praying.

I can’t hep but think of a very memorable post by Roger Olson: “Evangelical Superstars and Why They Fall.” Olson attempts to diagnose why so many Evangelical leaders (like Mark Driscoll and Jim and Tammy Faye Baker) publicly crash and burn. He argues (rightly so) that our lack of accountability networks for pastors has “created a system of ministry superstars on pedestals that sets them up for failure.” And then he says something even more interesting. He calls for ordinary church-going Christians to pay attention to the signs of pastoral abuse. If you find yourself in a church with a “independent and unaccountable” pastor, Olson writes, “flee.” If you choose to stay and stay silent, perhaps because you don’t want to leave your friends or because you have invested so much in the church, Olson has this clear rebuke. “And if you stay, you are part of the problem. And if he falls, you have yourself partly to blame.” When we stay silent, we become part of the problem.

I find the silent and tepid response of Evangelical leaders to Trump’s “morally bankrupt” (to use Denny Burke’s words) remarks inadequate. I also find their response (or rather, lack of response) quite ironic. Especially since it is 2017.

Let me explain. In two months time, I will be giving a paper at Baylor University’s Institute for Faith and Learning “The Bible and the Reformation” symposium. This isn’t just any Reformation conference. It commemorates 500 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to those oh-s0-famous doors in Wittenberg. It is the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

American Evangelicals love the Protestant Reformation. From Reformation Day parties (which conveniently substitute for Halloween) to Martin Luther bobble heads, the Reformation is usually one moment in church history with which I can assume comfortable (although usually far from accurate) familiarity from evangelical audiences. Robert Jeffress recently endorsed Erwin Lutzer’s Rescuing the Gospel: The Story and the Significance of the Reformation. His comments sum up well evangelical attitudes toward the Reformation and its most famous figure, Martin Luther. As he writes, “Capturing the pageantry and anger following Martin Luther’s bold stand in Wittenberg, Lutzer has penned what may be his most important book–a book that looks back on the glories of the original Reformation and looks forward to the hope of a new reformation.” For Jeffress, as I would bet for many Evangelicals, the Reformation is a glorious moment in church history. Luther, with his “bold stand in Wittenberg,” epitomizes what individual evangelicals want to be: a bold reformer who speaks the truth of God’s word and brings authentic revival to God’s church.

But Martin Luther did not stay silent. He spoke out against the prevailing establishment and stood for what he believed was right, even though it meant (ultimately) leaving the Catholic faith (resigning?). In his own words, as quoted by Reformation scholar David Whitford (Luther A Guide for the Perplexed), Martin Luther proclaimed to the council at Worms: “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason…I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to against conscience. I cannot do otherwise, here I stand, may God help me.”

Yes, Tony Suarez, there is a time for Christians to advise kings (or presidents without a moral compass). Yes, Jack Graham, Christians should always love sinners. Yes, Johnnie Moore, Christians should always be praying.

But there is also a time for Christians to speak out and take a stand.

Isn’t it ironic? Modern Evangelical Christians revere Martin Luther for doing the very thing that we are not.

Previous Post

August 22, 2017

The Spiritual Spirit of St. Louis

Next Post

August 24, 2017 7 Women Who Shaped Christianity and Western Culture

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category abolitionism Abortion Abraham Joshua Heschel Abraham Kuyper Abraham Lincoln Academia Activism Adam Renberg Advent Adventist africa African American Religion Agnes Howard Albert Camus American History American Religious History American Revolution American West Anabaptists Ancient History Andrea Turpin Andrei Tarkovsky Anglicanism Annales Ansley Lillian Quiros anti-Catholicism Antisemitism Anxious Bench apologetics Apparitions Arash Azizi Archaeology archives art Artificial Intelligence Asia Asian Americans Augustine Authors Bad Bunny Baptism Baptists Barack Obama Battle of Hastings Benjamin Franklin Bernard-Henri Levy Beth Allison Barr Beth Moore Bethany Mannon Bible Bill Cunningham Billy Graham Black Music Bob Dylan Body Boenhoffer Books Breastfeeding Bruce Springsteen C.S. Lewis Calvinism Cancel Culture Capitalism Carmelites Catholicism Cedric Robinson Cesar Chavez Charismaticism charity Charles Dickens Charles Lindbergh Che Guevara Chicago Children Chinese Christianity Chris Gehrz Christ Christian death Christian Higher Education Christian life Christian Nation Christian Nationalism Christianity Today Christmas Church life Church Practice cinema Civil Religion Civil Rights Movement Civil War civility Classics Climate Change Cold War Colonial Mexico colonialism Comer Communism community complementarianism Conference on Faith and History Congregationalism Conspiracies Conspiracy Conversion Narratives Coronavirus Costa Rica Council of Nicaea Covid-19 Creation Critical Race Theory Crusades Culture culture wars Daniel K. Williams David Barton David Swartz Death Ways death with dignity DEI democracy Democratic Party Devotion Digital Age Diplomacy discipleship diversity Donald Trump Drama Dua Lipa Early Church early modern Early modern Catholicism Easter Eastern Christianity economic exploitation Education elections Elie Wiesel Elizabeth II Elizabeth Taylor emotions Empire Engineering England enslavement Entertainment Episcopal Church Erica Ramirez eschatology Eurocentrism Evangelicalism Evangelicals Exegesis Family Feminism Film Flannery O'Connor folk music Food Foreign Policy founding fathers Franciscans Franciscus Junius fundamentalism Funerals G.K. Chesterton Gender Genocide genre geography George W. Bush George Washington George Whitefield Global Christianity Global church Grief Guadalupe guest post Guest Post gun control gun violence Gustavo Gutierrez Hamid Dabashi Harold John Ockenga Harvest Hate Hawaiian Christianity Healing health care Heather Cox Richardson Hell Heresy Hermeneutics Higher Education Hinduism Hippocratic oath Historical Fiction Historical Methodology Historical Profession Historical Profession Historical Theology Historical Thinking historiography Holidays Holocaust horror movies Human rights Humanitarian Work humanities Hummingbirds Hungary hymns Imago Dei Immigration Injustice Interviews Iran Islam Islamophobia Israel Ivan's Childhood Jacob Randolph James Bratt Janine Giordano Drake Japanese history Japanese Literature Jean Paul Sartre Jesse Miranda Jesus Jesus Christ Jimmy Carter Joan Baez Joan Didion Joanne Freeman João B. Chaves Joao Chaves Joey Cochran John Calvin John Fea John Tillotson John Turner Johnny Cash Jonathan Edwards Jonathan Tran Joseph Smith Josh Howerton Journalism Jr. Judaism Jürgen Moltmann Just War Justice Justin Brierley Karl Barth Katelyn Beaty koi ponds Kris Kristofferson Kristin Kobes Du Mez Latin American Religious History Latino Americans Lectio Divina Leisure Lent Leonard Cohen liberal arts liberalism Liberation Theology Linda Ronstadt Lisa Clark Diller Literature Lou Reed Lynchings Lynneth Miller Renberg Mainline Protestantism Malcolm Foley Marilyn Monroe Maritime history Mark Noll Marriage Martin Luther Martin Luther King Martyrdom Marxism Mary Masih Alinejad mass shootings material culture medieval Christianity Medieval Ethiopia Melissa Borja memory Mennonites Mental Health Mental Illness Methodism Mexican Americans Mexicans Mike Madrid Miles Mullin Min Jin Lee Miscarriage Missionaries Mister Rogers Mitt Romney modernity Monasticism Mormonism Motherhood Mothers of the Church Moving Music Musicals Nadya Williams Nahua Christianity Native Americans Natsume Sōseki New Contributor New England New Year New York Nico Non-Violent Protest Orthodoxy pacifism Paleo Evangelicals Palestinians Parenting Patti Smith Paul Kingsnorth Pedro Calderón de la Barca Pentecostalism Philip Jenkins Phillis Wheatley physician-assisted suicide pilgrimage Pilgrims pluralism Plutocracy Poetry Politics Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV post-modernism prayer preaching Presbyterians prosperity gospel Protest Public history Publishing Puritans purity culture Quakers race Race Massacres Racial Capitalism racial reconciliation racialization Racism Raha Bahloulipour Re-Enchantment reading Reformation Refugees religion and the university religion and war Religious Freedom Religious Nones Religious Pluralism Religious Symbols religious violence Republican Party Revival Rita Coolidge Ritual Roger Williams Roman Catholic church Royalty Russell Moore same-sex marriage Sarah Irving-Stonebraker Scandinavia Science Science and Technology Scopes trial Scriptural Interpretation secularism Selena Quintanilla seminary Seventh-Day Adventists sexual morality Sexuality Sikhs Silence slaveholders theology Slavery Slavoj Zizek social justice Social Media Southern Baptist Convention Southern Religion Spain Spiritual Autobiography Spiritual but not religious Spiritual Discipline Sports Stanley Hauerwas Suffering Summer Camps Sunday Night Odds and Ends Supernatural Supreme Court Syriac Christianity Tal Howard Taylor Swift Teaching Technology Television Thanksgiving The Beatles The Mission theater TheoBros Theology Thomas Dixon Thomas Jefferson Thomas Kidd Thomas Merton Tim Gloege Tim Walz Tom Holland Tourism tradition Tragedy Translation Transnationalism Travel Trump Ukraine Uncategorized Unitarians United Methodist Church US History Vanessa Chan Velvet Underground Verónica A. Gutiérrez Veronica Gutierrez Vikings Violence Virgin Mary Virtue Virtue ethics Visions Voting War WCTU Wendell Berry Westminster Assembly White Evangelicalism Wildfires Winnie the Pooh Witches women Women in Ministry Women's and Gender Studies Work Worship writing Yasunari Kawabata Zena Hitz

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

According to 1 John, what does perfect love do?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Fulfills all the law Covers a multitude of sins Never fails Drives out fear