Episode 294: Andre Gagne - Understanding Trump's (Neo)Charismatic Evangelicals

“In order to understand why these groups support Trump, it’s important to better understand their vision of the world. Evangelical beliefs are often misrepresented in popular media and in political discussions. These misunderstandings make it difficult to assess and respond to the political situation.”André Gagné is Full Professor in the Department of Theological Studies at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. He was Directeur d'études invité at l'École pratique des hautes études in Paris in 2017.His research focuses on the (Neo)Charismatic Right, Pentecostalism, evangelicalism, fundamentalism, religious violence and the interpretation and reception of the Bible. In his scholarship, Dr. Gagné seeks to explain how biblical texts and theological ideas are sometimes used by ultra conservative groups to incite social, political and religious tensions.Dr. Gagné is also a Full Member of the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (Concordia), a Research Associate with the Centre de recherche Société, Droit et Religion (Université de Sherbrooke), and a Co-Researcher with the Centre d'expertise de formation sur les intégrismes religieux, les idéologies politiques et la radicalisation (CEFIR).