Forget the Media Caricature. Allow Me to Caricature Myself

Disclaimer: The following op-ed was penned by guest blogger B. Mercenarius III (well, by his ghost writer, and in accordance with the conclusions of several focus groups regarding the talking points likely to be most effective in eliciting the sympathy of his fellow Americans). Any resemblance to Rebekah Mercer's op-ed in The Wall Street Journal … Continue reading Forget the Media Caricature. Allow Me to Caricature Myself

Educated Evangelicals, Academic Achievement, and Trumpism: On the Tensions in Valuing Education in an Anti-Intellectual Subculture

Authority First: The Enclave Strikes Back "I sat in the waiting room wasting my time, and waiting for Judgment Day. I praise liberty, the freedom to obey." - Green Day, "21st Century Breakdown," 21st Century Breakdown (2009) Fundamentalists force an inhumane choice on reflective, empathetic individuals who grow up in their enclave communities: assent that 2 + 2 … Continue reading Educated Evangelicals, Academic Achievement, and Trumpism: On the Tensions in Valuing Education in an Anti-Intellectual Subculture

Eric Metaxas and the Christian Right’s “Alternative Justice”: When “Fighting Nazis” Means Supporting Authoritarianism

It feels good to position yourself against universally recognized bad guys. Nazis make the easiest historical bugbears to oppose, being so widely reviled that even their most obvious heirs, such as white nationalist Richard Spencer of “Hail Trump!” fame, often reject the label. In fact, the use of anti-Nazi rhetoric is so powerful, that authoritarian leaders … Continue reading Eric Metaxas and the Christian Right’s “Alternative Justice”: When “Fighting Nazis” Means Supporting Authoritarianism