When Donald Trump voices his attitudes, many people are horrified. How can so many Christians find his positions appealing? Rather than simply arguing back or dismissing Trump followers as racist and ignorant or unchristian, it might help to understand Trump and his appeal more deeply on a religious level.
Trump actually represents the worst of what might be called “deep Christianity.” This is the set of deep-seated assumptions in orthodox Christianity, whether explicit or implicit, conscious or unconscious, that are held most clearly by fundamentalist believers but are also embedded in Christianity of all stripes. Importantly, they affect many in the American population who are not church-goers but simply live in our Christianity-infused culture. These assumptions are ancient, but they have modern applications. Over all, they are a threat to a present-day democracy. [...]
These aspects of deep Christianity are decidedly dangerous to a modern democracy. The world is complex, not simply bad and dangerous. A leader needs to appreciate this and avoid simplistic analysis. In a democracy, individuals must think for themselves, not defer to authoritarianism. They need to participate freely and with responsibility rather than expecting to be saved from life’s problems. A democracy needs to include everyone; prejudice, hate and violence have no place. Strength of leadership must be tempered with justice and fairness. Finally, a democratic nation must appreciate its context on Earth. It must strive to treat neighbors with respect and honor the critical needs of the planet’s environment and wildlife.
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