This final episode calls believers to evaluate their reaction to the Trump electoral victory and use it as a mirror to gage where their true identity lies. Our reaction to the Trump victory, particularly how we subsequently relate to liberals, highlights the degree that we have embraced Christ as our true identity. Do we rejoice more in the defeat of our political enemies than in our identity in Christ? Do we uncritically embrace the demonizing rhetoric of the president-elect, even though Christ calls us to love and pray for our enemies? The sign that we are making true progress in sanctification, that we are "sons of God," is loving our enemies.
Identity Politics and the Rise of “Christian” Trumpism
This episode is a strong rebuke to the evangelical church that has succumbed to identity politics in the embrace of Christian Trumpism. The infestation of identity politics in the evangelical church rests on the marked decline of Biblical literacy coupled with increasing dependence on political power to supposedly advance the Christian cause. Evangelical support of Trump, who is the master of right wing identity politics, largely reflects Christian demonization of non-Christian liberals and openness to a forceful, even autocratic champion against the left. Christian Trumpism is a repudiation of Christian ethics which prioritizes Christian earthly power over the clear teachings of Christ.