How familiar are you with the term “servant leadership”? How have you seen the term used?.How did this affect you and/or your family? There has been quite a bit written in the past few years about the detrimental effects of purity culture.Jesus and John Wayne Discussion Questions – Chapter Nine However, two movements took off in the 1990s that would eventually push conservative white evangelicals back towards the right – the formation of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW – Notable names Piper and Grudem) and purity culture (Notable names McDowell and Harris). The concept of a “Tender Warrior” became a way to soften the harshness of previous militant masculinity. Promise Keepers was one of the few Christian organizations at the time to openly address racism. Servant leadership – sacrifice, compassion – became a common phrase in men’s meetings. Promise Keepers could promote this – but it also could promote a much more egalitarian approach. It marked a change in the previous patriarchal fixation of conservative evangelicals. The 1990s saw the emergence of the Promise Keepers movement.
This was one of my favorite chapters, as I experienced a great deal of it.
Did (at least many) of the celebrity-type figures involved in the events in this and previous chapters believe that the ends they were pursuing justified whatever it took to accomplish those ends? Is this a Biblical view?.Does this sound like an honest attempt to discuss truth or is it more manipulation? Can you evaluate when you might have been influenced by this mentality? This chapter emphasized the need for an “enemy” to drive support (especially financial support).To what extent is the current evangelical movement influenced by celebrity figures rather than local church communities? The fall of some of these celebrity figures had a large effect. By this time (late 1980’s to early 1990s), we see parachurch organizations defining the evangelical movement as a whole, being driven by celebrity figures.Jesus and John Wayne Discussion Questions – Chapter Eight Even as this was happening, moderating forces were looking to other concerns for evangelicals – global issues such as fighting poverty, for instance. The Clinton presidency led to calls to fight for the soul of the nation. When liberals, communists, feminists, or secular humanists seemed to be winning, supporters dug deep into their pockets.” The previous chapter showed the way that some foreign policy issues helped provide this, but as the threat of communism continued to diminish this became less of an option. “Conservative evangelicals had learned to trade on a sense of embattlement. Jesus and John Wayne Discussion Questions and Chapter Reviews Part 2 Chapter Eight: War for the SoulĪs the book notes, the 1980’s were a time of success – but perhaps too much success. We also want to note that Kristin Kobes Du Mez has a reflective discussion guide with videos for Jesus and John Wayne on her website as well. It’s a fascinating read and I kept asking myself how these views have impacted my beliefs and actions.įind more information on the book, why to read it and our discussion questions for Chapters 1-7 right here. Du Mez traces how this has happened, the horrific effects of pervasive abusive patterns within the church, and the impact this has had on American culture at large. Over fifty years, a belief was fostered that pervades a majority of white evangelical thinking – our churches and country’s flourishing depend on aggressive male leadership. This post covers the second half of the Jesus and John Wayne Book* Quick Jesus and John Wayne Summary *Find our first post on this book HERE that covers chapters 1-7. It might be triggering if you have suffered church abuse or rejection as well. Warnings: This book might be a difficult read if you are not sure if nationalism or toxic masculinity are issues in the church. Themes: Militant masculinity, toxic masculinity, Christian nationalism Genre: History, American history, Christian history Know Before You Readīook: Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Jesus and John Wayne Discussion Questions Part Two written by the Hobbit on 6/2021.