by Rod Dreher
First published 2016
Rod Dreher confronts the political upheaval following Donald Trump's unexpected 2016 presidential victory. Former British foreign secretary William Hague warns of the West's potential collapse as populist nationalism surges globally. Christians across denominations grapple with conflicting emotions. Social conservatives who backed Trump brace for turbulent times ahead. Progressive Christians mourn a campaign that both mirrored and amplified America's ugly political turn, stung further by knowing that evangelical, Protestant, and Catholic majorities delivered this outcome. White working-class voters who secured Trump's win feel their security and identity threatened. Dreher argues that while anxiety and fear may seem justified in such moments, they contradict Christian teaching. The familiar Christmas sermon refrain "Fear not" represents core gospel truth. Just as first-century believers trusted that Jesus Christ ruled the universe regardless of Roman imperial power, modern Christians should remember that God controls human affairs. Dreher contends that whoever occupies the White House should matter as little to believers today as new Roman emperors mattered to the apostles Peter and Paul.
Genres: christian, american, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, current-affairs
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: America, West
Period: 2016, 21st-century
80 pages · Paperback · Plough Publishing House
Content warnings: anxiety, depression