Episode 27: Bradley Onishi on What Really Motivates White Evangelical Politics (and Why?)

On today’s episode, Tim speaks with Bradley Onishi, an Assistant Professor of Religion at Skidmore College and author of the forthcoming book, The Sacrality of the Secular, from Columbia University Press. Onishi’s recent writings, in which he discusses his past as an evangelical Christian, frame the conversation as he and Wise explore the way that white evangelism in particular filters virtually all issues of political morality through the lens of abortion. They’ll discuss why this is, how it explains fundamentalist support for Donald Trump despite his repeated violation of Christian norms of behavior, and how it connects to the religious right’s racial vision for America as well.Onishi also discusses the privilege of white nostalgia for a fictive religious, racial and national past, as well as the meaning of Billy Graham and his elevation to the role of “America’s Pastor,” following his recent death. This episode also features Tim’s weekly commentary, in which he discusses recent bombings in Austin, TX as well as the arrest of two white men who were hoarding weapons and bomb-making materials in NY and FL, and what the lack of news coverage — and the president’s silence about these events — says about the way we view terrorism, violence, and danger in America.