Politicology ENCORE: Democracy’s Christian Enemies — Part 2
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Feb 5, 2026 
David Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics and author on Christianity and political life, offers a short tour of how certain Christian movements brush up against authoritarian politics. He traces reactionary Christianity in Europe, the politics of nostalgia and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, the allure of strong-man leaders, and democratic resources in covenantal and Baptist traditions.
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Shared Script Of Reactionary Movements
- Reactionary movements cast liberalizing change as cultural ruin and promise restoration of a lost Christian nation.
- Anti-LGBTQ rhetoric consistently appears as a mobilizing tool across countries.
Religious Rhetoric Masks Anti-Christian Agendas
- Political actors use religious language to recruit Christians even when their movement is post-Christian.
- Christians can be easily swayed by rhetorical religious signals without scrutinizing underlying commitments.
Private Conversation Reveals Tradeoff Willingness
- Ron recalls asking a Pentecostal friend if they'd trade democracy for theocracy and got a hesitant reply.
- That moment revealed how persuasive Trump's appeal to sincere believers could be.
