What Else Should Bo Be Reading?
(conserva-curious)
For past several months, I have exploring a project that I am not quite ready to go public with. Part of the project involves attempting to understand the motivations and convictions of my more conservative / right-leaning friends and family. (I migrated about 15-20 years ago and a lot has changed over there in the time).
This new ‘far-right’ mentality is not exactly the conservatism that I was raised with, so I have been attempting to get up to speed on some of the more current thinking that is fueling the public outrage / backlash.
On the most recent episode of the Theology Nerd Throwdown, starting at minute 25, I fleshed out some of my concerns that are driving this emphasis. I went back and read everything from a seminar I took in 2010 called ‘Liberalism and Its Critics’. Then I launched out to find some newer material more specific to the current situation in N. America.
Here is a sample of the kinds of things I have been looking at – and I would love some help as to what else I should engaging.
- Political Theology by Elizabeth Phillips
- A World After Liberalism by Matthew Rose
- Regime Change by Patrick J. Deneen
- How the Liberal Cathedral Cracked Up by Ross Douthat
- The Virtues of Alasdair MacIntyre by Stanley Hauerwas
- Podcast interview with James Pogue
I look forward to your helpful suggestions. Thanks ahead of time!
While I agree with the resources that Lori Z. listed below (and more), I'm seeing an underlying questions of "How did we get here-far right- from where we were in our earlier decades?". All of the far-right stuff is pretty new in America. But that is not the case globally. The highly researched historical study "THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT IN EUROPE-Movements, Networks, and Denominations by Gionathan Lo Mascolo (ed) may be helpful. We are not witnessing, experiencing a unicorn. America's vision as a whole has been blinded by its own shortsightedness. Decades back, America believe itself to be above all those other evil countries. While fighting 2 World Wars, our attention was diverted from the in utero European beginnings of the far right. We made Hitler the epitome of all evil, missing the point of how he got there. We got "here" by not paying attention. From this morning's iheart Countdown Podcast by Keith Olbermann comes this line; "Soon it will be illegal for everybody not to lie." This is a global movement and we're just the last to realize it.
Hey Bo, Lori here from those early morning sessions with Tripp. I can recommend some books that will lend insight into how we got here, basically. They're relevant and useful. There are also a couple of folks you can read on Subs here for free that are stellar and have great insights into the intricacies of theology, history and culture. Also helpful to understand that.
Jesus and John Wayne Kristen Kolbes DuMez (stellar read and she's brilliant to listen to.)
White Too Long by Robert P Jones excellent read
The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy Robert P Jones
Robby is the founder of PRRI and works with Brooking Institute. He also writes on here along with another substack called the Convocation Unscripted. The participants in the group are Kristen K DuMez, Diana Butler Bass, Jemar Tisby and Robby. Definitely worth a watch and his books are great.
Disarming Leviathan- Caleb Campbell
Caleb is an evangelical who has his own thoughts on Christian Nationalism. I think Tripp has mentioned this book.
There are a couple of others but this should set you up for a little bit. I'd read KK DuMez first, then White Too Long. Or get both. Subscribe to the Convocation. It's free and they do a lot of Zooms and recorded material. Listening to the four of them with all their insights will be really helpful
Lastly, a way while back you had a conversation with Tripp about the clothes closet you set up in your church. I just wanted to thank you for that and that day I thought you walked on water. Your compassion and genuine caring for others really shines through. So thank you.