In Faith and Resistance in the Age of Trump, a number of theologians, scholars, and activists from a variety of religious backgrounds reflect on the meaning of faith-based resistance during the first months of the presidency of Donald J. Trump. The contributors consider a range of issues spanning immigration, voter suppression, and international politics, and reflect on the experience of Muslims, Jews, the LGBTQ community, African Americans, and Asian Americans, among others.
Two opening essays by Steven Greenberg and Kelly Brown Douglas provide contrasting hermeneutical frames for the rest of the volume. Greenberg argues that we can resist the Trump presidency and “make America truly great again” (1) by appealing to what is best in America's history: a commitment to the rule of law, cultural and religious diversity, and respect for individual rights. Douglas, on the contrary, emphasizes that the Trump phenomenon does not represent an aberration from American ideals, but rather a recrudescence of the white supremacy and xenophobia that have profoundly shaped American history. Indeed, some of the best essays in the collection are not focused on Trump, but rather illustrate how crises we face in the Trump era have deep historical roots. For example, Christiana Zenner and George “Tink” Tinker explain that flashpoints such as the Flint water crisis and Standing Rock pipeline protest reflect a long history of institutionalized racism victimizing African Americans and Native Americans. Miguel A. De La Torre examines how antidemocratic institutions and policies such as the Electoral College, gerrymandering, and voter suppression not only helped elect Trump in 2016, but represent ongoing dangers to American democracy that disproportionately impact groups such as African Americans, Latinxs, immigrants, and the young.
Other essays explore the response of particular faith groups or ethnic groups to Trump's ascendancy. Both David P. Gushee and Jim Wallis dissect Trump's support among white evangelical Christians. Gushee seeks to explain how voters who had long insisted on upstanding moral conduct from politicians could enthusiastically throw their support behind a candidate known for sexual misconduct, rampant dishonesty, and incitement to violence. He concludes that white evangelicals were attracted to Trump's exaggerated masculinity, expressed in his nationalism and economic populism, as well as his attention to Supreme Court nominations and his “Christian tribalism” (103), casting Christians as victims of a politically correct culture. In his essay, Wallis proposes an alternative evangelical ethic focused on welcoming immigrants, resisting racism, and promoting religious liberty for all, particularly Muslims. Likewise, Jacqueline M. Hidalgo considers the seeming paradox that upward of 29 percent of Latinx voters (according to most exit polls) voted for Trump despite his anti-immigrant rhetoric that drew on anti-Latinx tropes. Hidalgo notes that conflicting notions of citizenship and identity among Latinxs themselves, for example Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans, may have contributed to the appeal of Trump for some voters.
What the volume gains in breadth, it loses in depth; questions as complex as economic inequality and LGBTQ rights are covered in a handful of pages. Nevertheless, each essay is rich and worthwhile. The essays could be fruitfully used individually or together in classrooms or church study groups. The book also reflects something of the ephemerality of the Trump phenomenon itself; despite its relevance, parts of the book already feel out of date. For example, Kwok Pui-lan's essay on “Trump and Changing Geopolitics in Asia-Pacific” includes nothing on Trump's provocations of North Korea's Kim Jong-un as “Little Rocket Man” or the later summit between the two leaders. Several essays touch on the travel ban targeting Muslim countries imposed early in Trump's presidency and his promise to deport undocumented immigrants, but the policies of “zero tolerance” for asylum seekers at the border and family separation came too late to be mentioned. This is not the fault of the authors; it reflects the erratic nature of policy under Trump. Despite these absences, theologians, scholars, and faith-based activists will find the volume a valuable contribution to understanding and responding to the Trump presidency.
