In Conversation… with Frank Schaeffer Gaslighting For God: Becky Garrison on Spiritual Narcissists, MAGA, and What Comes Next
Mar 24, 2026
Becky Garrison, religious satirist and author of Gaslighting for God, diagnoses spiritual narcissism in faith communities and culture. She explores MAGA as a cultlike identity, Trump as a personality-driven case study, and prosperity gospel’s role in preparing the ground. The conversation shifts to hope through local, relationship-based change and the limits of celebrity-driven movements.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Why A Personality Like Trump Could Rise
- Trump succeeded because media dynamics, political neglect, and an undercurrent of Christian nationalism converged to elevate a personality-driven leader.
- Garrison emphasizes media ratings incentives, Citizens United money, and decades of unaddressed patriotist subcultures as causes.
Seeing Prosperity Gospel Feed Political Grifting
- Garrison attended prosperity-gospel services and witnessed poor congregants pressured to give money while pastors bought jets.
- She contrasts those desperate audiences with Trump’s ability to manipulate similarly vulnerable people politically.
Why Clergy Are High Risk For Narcissism
- Narcissism differs from ordinary selfishness by lacking self-awareness and empathy, making clergy and spiritual leaders high-risk roles.
- Surveys suggest clergy professions attract higher rates of narcissistic traits than the general population, raising institutional danger.
