| Title | : | The Faith of Donald J. Trump: A Spiritual Biography |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 405 |
| Publication | : | Published February 13, 2018 |
The Faith of Donald J. Trump: A Spiritual Biography Reviews
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I’m not sure whether to shelve this as Want to Read or Won't Read. I’m still sputtering at the title.
Updates added, including my photos of London protest, and why I was there...
In Their Own Words
Meanwhile, I have watched a 20 minute video, in which one of the authors interviews Trump (thanks to Mark H in the comments). They talk about God and the Bible, but Trump turns every answer round to his own success. Watch it
HERE.
Viewpoints
Although I'm an atheist, I was raised as a Christian and have friends and family who still believe and practise.
From the (relative) safety of being an ocean away, I have followed US politics very closely, the last two or three years. I cannot reconcile anything about Trump’s words, let alone his actions, with what I read in the Bible or was taught about Jesus.
I know we're all sinners.
I know that God can use "broken vessels".
But I also know that repentance is at the heart of Christianity, and Trump seems incapable of apology, or ever admitting a trivial mistake or failure.
From the video, 6:10
Q "Do you believe that it's important to ask God for forgiveness?"
A "Well I do. I think it's great. And I consider communion to be a very important thing... When I take communion I consider that to be asking for forgiveness in my own way."
Then straight back to crowd size and polls.
I can’t find real evidence of him claiming a personal faith, though he’s not averse to name-dropping God when it’s advantageous.
From the video, 7:25
Q "Who is God to you?"
A "I say God is the ultimate."
Then Trump pivots, shows his beautiful Pacific-facing golf course behind, and boasts of his success at doing one of the greatest deals ever to get it.
Poster comparing Jesus and Trump, from London protest, 13 July 2018
Usurping Labels
Trump’s supporters include many who claim the label of “Christian”. Sure, they’re getting lifetime appointments of conservative judges who are anti-gay, anti-women, anti-immigrant etc, but do the means justify the ends? Really?
From the video, 10:14
"One of the reasons I'm doing so well [with evangelicals], I am a Christian, I'm a protestant, I'm a presbyterian, I'm a total believer, I believe in the Bible, I believe in God and I think I will help them so much with the country."
"Them". Not "us".
Their vengeful bigotry has always seemed more like a twisted interpretation of the Old Testament, rather than having roots in the New. If homosexuality was such an unforgivable sin, how come Jesus never mentioned it? Whereas, he had plenty to say about one's duty to help the poor, and the corrupting influence of wealth.
The evangelicals’
Prosperity Gospel, with its darker flip-side of victim-blaming, absolves the righteous of supporting those in need. You don’t need welfare, just faith in God. I prefer Carnegie's
Gospel of Wealth, which promotes philanthropy as the duty of the rich.
They claim to be “pro life”, but they’re not: they’re pro conception, and pro birth, but after that, you’re on your own, even if you’re accidentally pregnant with your umpteenth child by your longtime husband, and you all have major medical problems. Worse still, most of these “pro lifers” are pro gun, resisting even the most modest restrictions. How is that compatible with being pro life?
No Other God but Me, Me, Me?
Time Magazine cover, 18 June 2018.
Prescient, because 14 months later, Trump
retweeted "the Jewish people in Israel love him like he’s the King of Israel. They love him like he is the second coming of God", and the next day, looked Heavenwards and said
"I am the chosen one" to fix trade with China.
Trump's UK Visit, July 2018
Signage Suggestions, Please
I may be an ocean away, but Trump is the most powerful man in the world, and even from here, even with Brexit chaos imminent, I’m scared.
If Trump comes to London, as planned, on Friday 13 July 2018, I’ll be in the crowd of protestors. Or if he goes to Windsor instead. At one level, it’s a possibly pointless gesture, but at another, it feels necessary.
So what should I put on my sign?
Here's a possibility: inverting the "I Really Don't Care. Do U?" jacket that Melania wore to visit the child detention centre in Texas on 21 June,
I really do care. Don't U?. But news cycles are too fast for that to be relevant.
I don't want something funny, or with childish or obscene insults. And it needs to be relevant from a Brit.
Shortlist:
• Pro America. Anti Trump.
• "Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."
Matthew 25, v45
(It's neat that he's #45, and has it embroidered on his left shirt cuff.)
• If Jesus hadn't rolled the stone away, he'd be turning in his grave.
• Trump Will Lie About This, Too.
• A list of words, different colours and fonts, perhaps as an acrostic. Including some of these, and maybe others:
Liar, Pussy-grabber, Misogynist, Bully, Racist, Tyrant, Traitor, Tax cheat, Lech, Sociopath, Narcissist, Braggart, Ignoramus, Bigot, Demagogue, Putin Puppet, Authoritarian, Con man, Homophobe
What I chose: me, with my father, at the London protest, 13 July 2018
UPDATES
1. 8 June 2018, May is apparently urging Trump to avoid the likely protests in London, and go to somewhere smaller and more sealed off, like Chequers, Windsor, and Blenheim:
Reuters reporting story from The Sun
Let's hope it's not too long before he's somewhere even more secure.
2. I am amused by this idea, but wonder if it's sinking towards his level: a giant inflatable Trump baby, to float about the Houses of Parliament when he visits. They're crowdfunding it:
crowdfunder.co.uk/trump-baby. But they need permission from the mayor:
let-trump-baby-fly
3. On 14 June, Press Sec Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended the change of policy resulting in separating migrant families BEFORE due process, saying it is “very biblical to enforce the law”. And Attorney General Jeff Sessions said “I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained them for the purpose of order.” So much for separation of church and state.
4. Some Christians spoke out, 19 June 2018. After shocking reports, and
government-issued photos of children in cages in detainment in camps, having been taken from families before due process, "More than 600 United Methodist clergy and laity say they are bringing church law charges against U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a fellow United Methodist...":
United Methodist Church press release.
Cartoon by Mike Luckovich, 20 June 2018, titled "Caged".
See
Matthew 25, verses 31-46
But nothing came of it:
United Methodists reject complaint, 8 August 2018.
5. 21 June 2018, Trump reversed his decision of separating children before their families' immigration status was established. His supporters praised him for solving the crisis he created. Meanwhile, stories are emerging of awful conditions in some detention centres, and there’s no clear way to reunite families when adults and children are under control of different authorities. Here's Senator Elizabeth Warren describing her visit of 27 June:
short video
6. 26 June 2018, shirt and poster designed and ordered. Photos after the event.
7. Not really relevant to Trump's possible spirituality, but on 27 and 28 June 2018, predictably, it transpired that Kim Jong-Un continues to improve NK's nuclear capability, despite the glorious photo opp a couple of weeks earlier:
See
The Hill, article 1 and See
The Hill, article 2
8a. Two days to go, and his UK itinerary has been released, as per update 1. He'll barely see London, which makes security much easier, and protects his ego. Instead he'll travel by helicopter between secure, enclosed locations: the US Ambassador's residence (next to Regent's Park Mosque!), Blenheim Palace, Chequers, and Windsor Castle. However, I think the crowds (and Trump Baby blimp) will be newsworthy enough that he will be aware of the scale of protests.
See
Travel details at The Guardian
8b. The US ambassador needlessly stokes fear and division, warning Americans in London to keep a low profile and to "exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings that may become violent."
See
The Hill
I'm confident the huge majority of protesters are anti-Trump, but not particularly anti-American.
9. I was there, at the London protest, 13 July 2018. The signs were angry, creative, funny. The crowd was enormous (in six figures). The mood was carnival. Here are a few more pictures I took:
Trump baby blimp, Parliament Square, London protest, 13 July 2018
Millicent Fawcett, Parliament Square, London protest, 13 July 2018. Gandhi, Mandela, Churchill, and others are there.
Trafalgar Square, London protest, 13 July 2018
10. 23 April 2019, a full-on state visit (rather than a mere working visit) announced for 3-7 June, less than a year after his previous visit. He's only the third US president to be offered a state visit in the Queen's reign of more than 60 years (George HW Bush and Bill Clinton were the others), but not the only controversial one (others include King Abdullah, Xi Jinping, Hu Jintao, Hirohito, Ceauşescu, Mubarak, and Mugabe). The third day will be a D-Day event in Portsmouth, but the other two may be in London.
Why Did I Protest?
In answer to questions here (and elsewhere)...
I wouldn't normally protest about the internal affairs of another country. But that's not what I was doing on Friday. Not primarily.
My greatest fears about Trump are his detrimental effect on the stability of the world. For example, escalating global trade tensions and tariffs, pushing "clean coal" and denying climate change, and undermining (imperfect but) important groupings like NATO, G7, UN, EU, and even the UK itself.
All of these alienate allies, while he cosies up to authoritarian enemies, giving them more than he/the US gets in return.
These tensions are compound by the fact our government does not criticise his regime as it does others, including those that pose global threats (Putin) and allies (Saudi).
Thus, the protests were partly addressed to our UK government.
They were also addressed to the US as a whole. Unlike other authoritarian regimes, the US press can still report opposition, including protests in the UK. That doesn't fit the stereotype of mild-mannered Brits, so is even more startling. Seeing the strength of feeling here has brought comfort of solidarity to some (mainly Democrats) and given pause for thought to others (including Republicans).
I don't think the London protest will change Trump, let alone the world, but I wanted to make a point that would be seen.
The fact Trump is also dangerously inconsistent and ignorant, demonstrably untruthful, profiteering, bigoted, probably abusive, and is rolling back protections for all but the super-rich, is secondary.
The ill-informed insults he's lobbed at many of our leaders (from May to Khan, and those in between) make it fair for us to criticise his domestic policies, and not keep that criticism exclusively highbrow.
Very British words, handstitched, at the London protest, 13 July 2018
Related Reviews
First, I read and reviewed Fire and Fury as one of the early headline-grabbing books of Trump’s regime (my review
HERE).
Then, A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo as it was refreshingly fun, and with a good, positive message (my review
HERE).
Next up was this, as it’s at the rotten heart of what I most despise.
And finally, Fear: Trump in the White House as it’s by
Bob Woodward: a multi award winning journalist and biographer of nine presidents, red and blue (my review
HERE).
And then, Ladybird did a satire, using illustrations from children's books, A Ladybird Book About Donald Trump (my review
HERE).
The most revealing so far is Mary L Trump's psychological analysis of her dysfunctional family, Too Much and Never Enough (my review
HERE). -
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It focuses largely upon the role Robert Mueller has played in driving Satan's Tangerine to his knees. On the other hand, you can probably tear through a "spiritual biography" of Fearless Leader in under 30 seconds, so there's that. Next up in this series: Brody examines the life of St. Therese of Lisieux as a biker chick with the Hell's Angels.
Seriously? -
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The Trump koolaid must be some strong stuff
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All full review coming soon along with a piece for The Daily Dot, but for now, let me leave you my favorite quote.
"Driving through the streets of Riyadh, we saw immense signs over bridges proclaiming “Together We Prevail,” with Trump’s mug alongside that of Saudi King Salman. The only thing more striking may have been seeing a good old-fashioned American restaurant, Buffalo Wild Wings, on the way to the hotel from the airport arrival ceremony. But unlike the calorie-laden Buffalo Wild Wings, what Trump would offer would be low in calories yet high in spiritual wisdom." -
This book exceeded my expectations. The authors handled the topic well, refraining from personal conclusions, but letting the facts speak for themselves and leaving the conclusions to the reader.
The first half of the book deals with Trumps spiritual background, including his parents' views on spiritual matters, the doctrine and practice of the churches that he was a part of, his patterns of behavior in regards to church attendance and similar activities, and his spoken attitude and thoughts about God, the church, Jesus Christ, etc. Again, no speculation here, but just a reporting of the facts of Trump's life up to the time of the 2016 campaign.
The second half of the book deals specifically with the campaign and his presidency so far. As one of the authors was a CBN reporter that followed the Trump campaign and had multiple interviews with the candidate and then president, we have a lot more first-hand details about what Trump has said and done in regards to spiritual matters.
Several conclusions that I came to from this book. First is that Trump is a master of self-promotion, but this hides a very caring person behind the scenes. The book relates story after story of Trump showing care and compassion to others of all walks of life, of all races, religions and backgrounds. But Trump tends not to make these known publicly. He promotes the Trump "brand" in a bombastic way, but is constantly doing personal acts of kindness and generosity in a very low-key way when he is off the stage.
Second, Trump is a product of his spiritual upbringing. The values and work ethic that Trump brings are very much a result of what his parents taught and modeled for him. Similarly, his spiritual life is a result of what his church taught and modeled for him. Any fault of his theology or the way he expresses it can be attributed, in part, to the lack of serious spiritual training in the churches he was a part of. This doesn't absolve him of his own responsibility in these matters, but it does explain his views and the ways he tackles these issues. While not necessarily deep in his understanding of the Bible, Trump has a deep respect for Christ and the church, especially those who have devoted their lives to service in the church. He is very proud of the Bible he received from his mother and the picture of his own confirmation at age 13. While some may question the theological correctness of his spiritual heritage, it is undeniable that it played and continues to play a huge part in his outlook on life and his leadership.
Third, Trump is a friend of Christians in America. I don't want to speculate on Trump's standing before God, but this book makes the case that Trump's administration is one of the most spiritual of presidential administrations in modern times. One chapter focused exclusively on Mike Pence and his spiritual influence on the president and Trump's desire to have Pence on the ticket, not in spite of, but because of Pence's deep faith in Christ. Trump routinely surrounds himself with religious people from a variety of denominations and traditions. Pastors from white, black and Hispanic churches, leaders of Christian organizations of many stripes, leaders in politics and business who hold a strong Christian faith - all who have come into contact with Trump have found him very welcoming to Christianity and Christian perspectives on a variety of policy issues. According to this book, there are more prayer meetings (many spontaneous) in the Oval Office than for any other modern president. All this leads to policies that are more friendly to families and churches.
A cynic could say that Trump is just pandering to the evangelical vote. But yet any serious study of Trump would show that Trump doesn't do anything unless he wants to do it. He isn't the type to pander to anyone; Trump is Trump, and he won't let anyone tell him how to lead. Even after he said some things on the campaign trail that made many of us evangelical types cringe and roll our eyes, he could have changed his words to start using more Christian lingo, and I'm sure he had several people try to advise him to do this. But he didn't, because that isn't who he is. His honest approach, even to his Christian faith, was refreshing to many, which propelled him to the White House.
Is Trump a true Christian? This book doesn't even try to answer that question. But this book does give a lot of solid, well-researched information that radically changed my view of Trump's spirituality. I would encourage any Christian, regardless of whether you are a fan of Trump or a NeverTrumper, to read this book for understanding the spiritual life and spiritual influence of our current president. -
Very interesting, lots of background that I wasnt aware of.
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See review by Erick Erickson on RedState. I can't improve on it.
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If you're interested in a contemporary hagiography and are curious about how moral depravity can be so rapidly transfigured into pious spirituality, this book is for you.
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I didnt actually read it but I rated it five stars because the pages make excellent toilet paper.
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A puzzling book overall. The authors state two things in their introduction that rather ruined the prospect of the rest of the book for me: (1) Donald Trump is a materialist. (2) They were NOT going to answer the question: "Is Donald Trump a true believer?" (#1 would, in my thinking at least, lead to a possible conclusion about #2, but never mind...) -- Then the reader embarks upon a meandering look into such topics as the President's forebears (with emphasis on his father's Lutheran background and his mother's Scottish Presbyterian heritage), the Fundamentalist/Modernist split in the Presbyterian church in the early 1900s (with a cameo by Pearl S. Buck), the influence of Norman Vincent Peale on modern Christianity, etc., etc. All interesting enough but a little off-topic at times. Then the authors trace Trump's bid for the presidency, with emphasis on his interactions with leading evangelicals, culminating in the inauguration and the beginning months of the Trump administration. -- The author's portrait of Donald Trump does not entirely 'jive' with those drawn elsewhere (Does he *really* know how to read a blueprint? Is he really a hard worker? Does he really demonstrate a surprise empathy/sympathy toward others when the media spotlight is not on him?), but they make a case for the President's (by their lights) unprecedented sensitivity to Christianity and issues of great interest to evangelical Christians. The most telling detail -- which has caused me to be more reflective about the Presidency of Donald J. Trump than I have been until now -- is the parallel one charismatic pastor drew between Trump's becoming the 45th POTUS and the passage about Persian king Cyrus in Isaiah 45. -- I confess to not being entirely 'sold' on all (or even many) of the authors' contentions, but there is much food for thought here in this well-documented book: God IS sovereign in the affairs of men, and that is a subject on which to meditate...and ponder in amazement.
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I almost didn't read it because the title. Trump doesn't seem to me a religious or spiritual person. He certainly isn't humble, or meek or mild or many of the things Jesus tells us to be. But the one thing I as a Christian try to do is not judge, and certainly not hate. I'm surprised how many of my Christian friends abhor Trump. Yet do we really know his heart? Who am I to judge him? I read this because there seems to be more hate for him than any other President in my lifetime. I had become aware of the many charitable and kind things Trump has done over the years he hasn't bragged about, so I was trying to figure out how a man that seems so cruel and arrogant could also have support from people I know who are not cruel and arrogant.
The book didn't answer all my questions, but gave some objective insight into a complicated man. Trump is still an enigma but I have known a lot of nasty men in my lifetime who accomplished a lot of good. He is flawed, but not evil, and it's sad our society puts labels on people without actually knowing the entire picture. -
I would have given five stars except there was some weak writing. I don't think this book is about Donald J. Trump as much as it is about how God uses weak people. We and Mr. Trump are in the same boat. We all are imperfect human beings. There are only two choices in life, humility before God or rejection of God. I believe that the authors of this book show president Trump has chosen humility before God. As for the Presidency, Trump put it this way, "I would say that the office is so powerful that you need God even more."
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The Faith Of Donald J Trump book is a good read with some flaws. I enjoyed reading im glad i own it, Although I am A Ardent Roman Catholic and Trump Supporter I do not care for both author's bias that os their protestant sola-scripture view and the subtle jabs at The One True Apostolic Church. Great info on Our President's ancestors but the quoting of the heretic Luther and so-called reformation I did not enjoy. Perhaps ill get a Catholic ProTrump Book.
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The best book on how faith influences Donald Trump
Everyone knows Donald Trump but few seem to understand him well enough to explain his actions. The Faith of Donald Trump expertly reviews the faith journeys of the president and his parents to explain how they impact his presidency. -
It was interesting to read about this side of Donald Trump. The authors did a good job of realistically depicting a man who respects faith but is only recently growing into faith of his own. However, I find journalist writing to be rather scattered, sometimes hard to follow, and generally poor these days.
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I found this book very enlightening and encouraging. I wish it got more press.
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Interesting book. Well-written. And it answers a lot of questions about Donald Trump's beliefs and actions. I highly recommend it -- to supporters and haters.
