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Her citations, then, seem to work against her argument. What’s more, she acknowledges at times that trends in evangelicalism corresponded to similar trends in broader American culture, yet she does not show how evangelicals set themselves apart as being uniquely bad in their embrace of these trends. But Du Mez uses this language to paint a picture of evangelical extremes without accounting for its broader use in Scripture and the Christian tradition more generally. It’s possible that American evangelicals use these images more often than others or in ways that are out of step with the biblical usage. Additionally, Just War theory goes back as far as the fourth century, so military support has, in some sense, long been a part of Christian culture. Christ himself is pictured as a commander of an army in the book of Revelation. For example, the apostle Paul uses military metaphors to describe the Christian life. She shares this without demonstrating that this language is unique to evangelicalism. Du Mez notes that Billy Graham used “athletic and military metaphors to make perfectly clear that his faith did not conflict with his masculinity,” and similar metaphors to describe Jesus (23). Without this sort of nuance in her analysis, it becomes too easy for some to put her words in the same wastebasket as those who accuse them of being on the “wrong side of history.” This problem appears most clearly when she attacks elements of 20th and 21st century American evangelicalism that are, in fact, common American elements of even traditional Christian beliefs. Sometimes she seems to think that the correct side in a controversial debate is self-evident, such that those on the ‘wrong’ side need not be proven wrong, but merely dismissed. In some cases (abuse, for example) their actions are easy to condemn. Problematic AssumptionsĪ more substantial problem was that Du Mez often wrote as if the beliefs of evangelical leaders are self-evidently immoral. It will not win Du Mez charitable readings from skeptical evangelicals. And what of his vulgarity?…Even sexual assault? Well, boys will be boys…If you wanted a tamer man, castrate him.” Again, this is difficult to demonstrate in a short quote, but because it carries throughout the book it is hard to miss as you read. It’s difficult to convey in its subtlety, but one example is in the chapter titled, “A New High Priest.” This section, which includes no citations or direct quotes, offers a biting, sarcastic version of evangelical thinking about gender and masculinity in particular: “What makes for a strong leader? A virile (white) man. As a woman, I cringe at this oft-misused critique, but the problem was prevalent throughout the book so it seems important to mention. This makes it difficult to see her as a friendly critic. One of the first things I noticed about the book was that by parroting evangelical voices without using direct quotations or citations, Du Mez’ tone unfortunately often reads as sarcastic. Due to frequent sarcasm as well as a lack of charity toward its critics and, at times, a lack of evidence to back up its claims, I fear this book will be rejected by many of the people who would most benefit from reading it Who Said It? Perhaps I’m a particularly needy reader, but if Du Mez hopes to persuade skeptical readers, you wouldn’t guess it from the book.

However, despite the good I see in Du Mez’ work, I have to admit my mixed feelings about it.

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Du Mez’s work throws the closet doors wide open, and our skeletons are on full display. Because we cannot continue to claim that abuse scandals or Christian nationalists are outliers. Evangelicals need to come to terms with how they have used power and gender to harm people. Jesus and John Wayne is well-timed, and important. It helps us see the ideological distance between soft-spoken James Dobson and our blustery racist grandpa aren’t as vast as we had assumed. It helps us see that that “one time” when we saw women treated badly was actually one of many. The book helped me put the stars I’ve seen through the decades into alignment, revealing a constellation of our failures. I have spent my life in evangelical circles, and most, if not all, of the names mentioned in Jesus and John Wayne were familiar to me. Believing that wounds from a friend can be trusted (Pro 27:6), we would do well to heed those Jesus and John Wayne offers. Indeed, Kristin Kobes Du Mez’ book is one that can help jolt us to the reality of what we have made and become. For many of us, reading Jesus and John Wayne might feel a little like that. She returns home with a bruised face and bruised pride to reflect on her sins. Flannery O’Connor’s short story “Revelation” begins with a holier-than-thou character having a book, along with her sin, thrown in her face.

Jesus and john wayne book