Theology in the Raw S2 Ep1142: National vs. Local Politics, Trump, Healthy Civic Engagement, and why "Woke" Is an Unhelpful Term: Chris Butler
Jan 8, 2024
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How A Sixth Grader Slid Into Civic Life
- Chris Butler got into civics as a sixth grader when his school's principal faced firing and he organized interruptions at local school council meetings.
- A local community organization joined the fight, pulled him in, and launched a lifelong involvement in politics and community work.
PowerPoint Vision Led To Pastoral Calling
- Butler became interim pastor after his longtime pastor fell ill, made a PowerPoint with a vision, and was asked to lead full-time when the pastor chose not to return to full duties.
- The interim period (around a year) and the pastor's recovery led to a formal pastoral transition and Butler's vocational ministry.
Trump As Symptom Not Cause
- Butler argues Trump is an outcome of long-term polarization, algorithm-driven anger, and personality-focused politics rather than the root cause.
- He traces trends through the Bush/Obama presidencies, social media algorithms, and microtargeting that atomized politics before 2016.