Prayers and perspective
Evangelical reactions to Donald Trump’s election
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In November’s postelection discussions, evangelical leaders showed unity in one way: Trump adherents and Trump critics both prayed for the president-elect. Mike Huckabee: “Those who prayed for Trump to win must pray for him to lead with dignity, justice, and strength.” Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler: “We must now pray that God will use Donald Trump and lead him to guide our nation well, with justice and righteousness.”
Others registered their surprised delight. Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham: “Many thought Trump/Pence ticket didn’t have a chance. None of them understand the #Godfactor.” Radio host Hugh Hewitt tweeted: “I am jubilant. #SCOTUS [the Supreme Court] saved. I didn’t think he could win. I am very happy I was wrong.”
Some journalists who are evangelicals remained unhappy. Weekly Standard writer Matt Labash’s response to the Trump win: “I am a lifelong evangelical. And I watched a lot of good people—fellow evangelicals—bend themselves into logic contortionists to make excuses for Trump’s inexcusable behavior.” But H.B. Charles Jr., pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., encouraged Christians not to mope: “Post-election blues? Go to church and worship the unelected, unimpeachable King today!”
Russell Moore, president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, said “conservative evangelicals are politically homeless—whether they know it or not. … Our rallying cry is not ‘Hail to the Chief’ but ‘Jesus is Lord.’” Or, as sports broadcaster Ernie Johnson remarked, “I never know from one election to the next who’s gonna be in the Oval Office, but I always know who’s on the throne.”
Sen. Ben Sasse wrote in the Omaha World-Herald, “We are not North Koreans, swearing a loyalty oath to the ‘Dear Leader.’ Nor are we the French Resistance, plotting against the new regime from day one. Rather, we should hope for his personal flourishing and his wisdom, and we should simultaneously vigorously debate his ideas.”
Bulletin board
The Smithsonian Institution didn’t have a curator of religion during the entire 20th century, but it has one now: Peter Manseau. On the Smithsonian’s website, Manseau declared that “true history is far more complex” than either “rose-colored views of the past inspired by Thanksgiving legend, or darkly monochromatic tales of an alien culture destroying ancient ways of life.” He noted that John Eliot in 1663 translated the Bible into the Wampanoag language, and that recently, when Wampanoag community members wanted to revive the language, “they turned to the language’s most complete record: Eliot’s Bible.” Across the Atlantic, a Church of England task force wants to end the requirement that every church hold weekly services. Average weekly attendance in the smallest 25 percent of churches is fewer than 15, and average attendance in the smallest 5 percent of churches is four. Overall Church of England attendance has dropped 10 to 15 percent in the last decade. A report by Wheaton College’s board of trustees affirmed the concerns of college President Philip Ryken and then-Provost Stanton Jones about former professor Larycia Hawkins’ theological statements regarding “human origins and the relationship between Christianity and Islam.” The trustees did not criticize Hawkins’ decision to wear a hijab during Advent, commended “her gesture of care for Muslims in the face of discrimination,” said the administration’s initial response to Hawkins “lacked wisdom and collegiality,” and affirmed Jones’ apology. Hawkins left Wheaton in February 2016. —J.B.
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