Journalist Tim Alberta on What Fuels the Evangelical Devotion to Trump

Tim Alberta, a distinguished journalist and author renowned for his deep dives into American politics, joins host Charlotte Alter for an insightful and personal conversation on faith, politics, and the evolving American landscape. Known for his best-selling book "American Carnage" and his incisive reporting for The Atlantic, Alberta recounts his early life growing up in the church and the intellectual journey with Christianity that influenced his worldview. Discussing his latest book, “The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism” Alberta explores the complex relationship between Evangelical Christians and American politics and shares his unique perspectives into the cultural and political factors at play. This discussion is particularly timely as the pair examine the potential impact of the Evangelical voting bloc on the upcoming Iowa Republican caucus and the broader implications for the 2024 presidential election. Tune in for an enlightening discussion that cuts to the core of America's political and cultural divides.
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[@KathyDennis-fy3bg]

Tim Alberta is a true American treasure. We need him.

[@ddd9322]

He's one of the few who has it figured out. Thank God for the discernment given to @timalberta.

[@moniquesmeadow]

Such great questions by the moderator, and insightful answers by Tim Alberta. Thank you.

[@Joseph_Knight]

There's no one who has correctly diagnosed the current political / religious idolatry better than Alberta

[@Ann-ey1tw]

I was fortunate enough to see Tim at the TribFest festival in Austin last week. He really helped me understand how the Evangelicals support Trump. He is excellent!

[@mirandas7798]

This man right here... I wish more people knew more about how much of an influence he is! Thank you Tim....

[@craigrussell7542]

Great interview! It's a sad truth that children who've been socialized by the authority figures in their lives to accept fantastical ideas are not well prepared to critically examine other fantastical ideas espoused by their leaders later in life.

[@robertjohnherrick2800]

Amen!

[@brianwalkup5214]

I grew up in the evangelical world like Tim. I long to find a community of people who have lived the best of the evangelical movement but reject the extreme right Christian nationalism movement. I am a very liberal democrat now, and I am gay, but I always remember what was so beautiful about my own evangelical upbringing.

[@elspeth8476]

As a Christian I really struggle to know why fellow believers think so many crazy things are true.

[@timakey4678]

A touch of irony there? All the Abrahamic religions are based on the stories told by a (probably fictional) character who claims to have had a chat with a burning bush. Then there is the story of the Garden and a talking snake that supposedly explains the human condition. Christianity is nothing but a history of crazy things people claim are true.

[@willchristie2650]

Anyone who reads the Bible as 100% literal will believe just about anything. We are talking about talking donkeys, the sun standing still in the sky, painting stripes on a fence to produce a stripped donkey, talking snakes, 2 people producing 8 billiion people, a virgin birth, etc.

[@kevy8377]

@@timakey4678 Too right.

[@yonasatle5319]

God bless you Tim ! 🙏

[@robertwinslow5459]

Love his take and explanation re this era. As a Canadian it like watching a car crash on a loop.

[@jennyeknox8037]

I have really enjoyed & learned from Tim's books. Thanks for your work. I truly appreciate you.

[@robertjohnherrick2800]

Well done Tim. Here’s wishing you continued progress on your search for enlightenment.

[@dougdellwo3274]

The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory is an insightful book. It is a tome that describes political games man ship over Christian belief. The use of belief to manipulate people In the pursuit of power and control. The influence of the Catholic faith on evangelicals is quite insightful. It is truly a marriage made in hell. Propagated by believers whose actions would make Machiavelli blush.

[@shannonstraughan4383]

This information is fantastic

[@helenryan5217]

The irony is that they are looking for safety while claiming to follow a man who let his enemies kill him in order to fulfill the will of God.

[@sailing7seas]

I loved this video. Loved Tim’s book Why do we have to listen to two minute ads every few minutes. Not everyone is close to there phones to skip

[@ntamny]

I was a Christian until Obama was elected and I saw “devout Christian” friends and family spew racial hatred. That’s when my heart broke.

[@backbay2242]

Bigotry, Resentment, Hated. There ya go.

[@busyb8676]

I am concerned about end times Christian theology and it’s relationship with Israel. It is almost like a death wish with the need for Christ to come back and save them from all the modern problems and with Israel’s establishment as a modern state ,It fits in with Biblical prophecy.

[@salliemiller7730]

I started reading his book. Love it!!!!

[@upbeat_downbeat]

Tim Alberta sees clearly how upside-down we are. He has a lot of wisdom.

[@shannonstraughan4383]

Fyi, the term of MAGA was coined by Ronald Regan, NOT tRump. Trump just "borrowed" without give Regan credit. Much respect for Tim Alberta. This has helped me understand how so many people love Trump.

[@RobertStambaugh-l5r]

Mega , i think , means huge , as in a huge church . I am not sure what Maga means . My wife and i are Christians and when we were newlyweds , we were so excited to cast our first vote for Ronald Reagan , our greatest and most successful Christian President . It seems that Bernie Sanders is the most honest candidate since President Reagan !

[@Ergo8152]

@user-ki1un4jg2d Right Reagan was honest. IRAN contra come 2 mind

[@kevy8377]

@@Ergo8152 There is a desperate almost-deification of Reagan by conservatives. I always saw Reagan as profoundly dangerous. He had many failings failings, but for me the most damaging element was his insertion of 1 particular religion into the heart of the presidency, his policies, and GOP politics. That anti-constitutional mis-step was a major engine powering the Christian Nationalist takeover of the party. Remember that this movement was really all about opposing civil rights, the 'pro-life' message was invented as cover for what would have been an unpopular stance if revealed. Reagan is thus the father of the Dobbs decision and MAGA, despite the pearl-clutching of conservatives who revere him whilst, rightly, loathing Trump. I saw the recent biographer suggesting that R is emblematic of a period when the country was espousing amnesia and whitewashing of its recent past, refusing to take responsibility and learn from the abuses committed. Trump is a paradigmatic example of such societal failures crushed into 1 pathetic individual.

[@jointhejourney7472]

It is no surprise that people are leaving the church in droves. People are tired of Christian hypocrisy.

[@melissasweeting-percentie6679]

great show

[@phildavis4336]

Tim's book (The Kingdom, the Power & the Glory) hits the nail on the head... Evangelicals want political power (the opposite of what Jesus said & did).... in order to persecute those who don't believe what they believe (Think Constantine!). I was in the Evangelical Movement for 24 years (12 as an ordained pastor)... I finally left 30 years ago because of their BAD Theology that they think is true..... the biggest lie that they prop up is that the Bible is inerrant. This is a theological lie.... can't be proved... in fact there's plenty of proof that the Bible is NOT INERRANT. Yet they all keep telling the lie.... disregarding all the proof. NOT all Christians are Evangelicals. Their movement is intellectually compromised by bad theology. I'm glad I left and I'm never going back.

[@AlanObrien-if4ie]

@phildavis4336 I'm from ireland and was involved in the evangelical church ,they imported Americanism and said it was Christian, after the Toronto blessing of the 90s I rejected fundamentalist dogma, today I'm a free thinking atheist but still have compassion on those trapped in lies and delusion ,are you still a believer in certain Christian theology or are you a free thinker?

[@12345patbet]

So interesting! I am Catholic, and started thinking that my religion had a more rigorous intellectual tradition - then I think of how superstitious we can be! We Christian all need to examine ourselves.

[@briandelaney9710]

Yes and challenge Secularism’s assumptions

[@rosieE121]

Things were not all that good 30 or 40 or 50 years ago. It was a lot of propaganda and is false nostalgia.

[@canadianhappyinitalytruest6556]

I just hate when someone gives the false dichotomy that “either this wild story is true OR it’s the biggest conspiracy ever told!” It can so easily be any number of things: people wanting to believe something, people not understanding how to follow critical reasoning, people believing weak evidence, indoctrination, some is true but some is exaggerated” I could go on and on. It just exposes the fundamentalist way of thinking that you need to accept ALL of it or NONE of it. Frankly, I expected better reasoning from Tim.

[@bravobytz1820]

Reading this book now. Fantastic read

[@andrewedris2800]

A moment of cathartic relief can explain Tim's father's epiphanic feelings after he made the decision to change his life. Not crazy and not supernatural.

[@tracesprite6078]

Yes. People who are going through a tough time sometimes experience a rush of warm emotions, which feel comforting and exciting. They want to believe that it's God who is giving them that feeling of certainty and inspiration. It distracts them from ongoing problems such as difficulties in their marriage or restlessness with the daily grind of supporting a family. I think it's probably just an illusion. They should face up to their real challenges and get on with being a responsible person.

[@carolyngartner6865]

You know, there are actually Christians who have no need to believe in the myth of Jesus's divinity. They are free of the terrible burden of believing that he died for their sins.

[@FrankMoore-s8n]

Good interview👍

[@jaelo2314]

I never thought about politics except to help me decide who i would vote for. But every 4 years, the minority party was described as "aggrieved." I have to be told I'm aggrieved? Then it can't be true. But there are those who eat that up and feel obligated to do as they're told to right the wrong.

[@kevy8377]

I am always bemused by the desperate need of so many Americans to believe in some religious entity. I can understand the need to postulate a 'soul' that people possess - even though that is also a fiction, it is a more excusable and usually less damaging error. Having said that, religious faith can, on occasion, provide real psychological and even societal benefits, and where it does then it can be seen as a valuable fable (cf that in Plato's Republic). Unfortunately it too often spills into justification for ludicrous thinking and heinous acts. The world is a great and wonderful mystery, there is no need to invoke religion to bring it value - its value is inherent.

[@luchettepender6038]

How do we expect to win the world to Christ when we hate our brothers and sisters? Is the evangelical church upset or embarrassed by what they hear Tim say?

[@edl6398]

“Enemies” and “fighting” were the first words to describe the Christian Right. They are so misguided.

[@fluxfaze]

Unfettered deception is both Trump’s and evangelical’s bread and butter.

[@ajdolphin7]

They have become deceived. Like many legalistic leaders from Jesus day

[@jeffhidalgo8457]

Cultists are gonna Cult. Same thing different flavor.

[@tracesprite6078]

Jesus told us to care about everyone, and even those we suppose are our enemies. That's a useful idea, though we shouldn't trust everyone as people vary. Jesus also advised people not to worry about money - an idea that evangelical Christians clearly ignore as they are often very rich. I suggest that you have a practical attitude towards money. Money is necessary, and we should manage it responsibly so we can care for ourselves and those dependent on us. Please don't give huge amounts of money to your church. Church leaders vary a lot in how sensible and responsible they are. Use your money carefully because we live in expensive, complex nations, and money is an important resource for looking after our families and ourselves.

[@donnawalker7085]

I felt the same about the Roman Catholic Church after about age fifteen. I am off the Church but not Jesus. Trump Christians don't really seem to me to follow Christ.

[@Bill-v8r]

The decision to continue to be a part of something g fraught with problems happens everyday and everywhere: our locales, our life, our family. God is not changed when we leave Him- we are, tho

[@PennyDreadful2024]

And people say that are changed for the better. There are lots of healthy churches out there so I don't want to over-generalize. But yes, leaving god is liberating for a lot of people. They feel happier, and free of religious based fear and anxiety.

[@ziggyustar3137]

research what JESUS said; just his words/ then ask yourself what the kingdom has to do with a KING. its mentioned twice in the Lord's Prayer but how its described 'here on earth, as it is in Heaven'. Once you discover the kingdom you won't care who Donald Trump is, was, or where he's going to end his time on earth/ none of it matters its your relationship in the kingdom not politics

[@Ergo8152]

Greedy hypocrites

[@SN-sz7kw]

Interesting. Don’t agree with his binary choice on Jesus though. The same could be erroneously applied to all influential religious deities. They can’t all be either true or terrible & nothing in between. As an atheist, I’d say they’re all somewhere in between. Same goes for his father’s conversion.

[@johnbrown6189]

It's all based on lies. The Church, politicians, marketing but most of all greed. Please note l did not say capitalism said greed.

[@edl6398]

Greed and capitalism are synonymous.

[@billmitchell2080]

Why are the smartest and best educated generally atheists? I know why, I am curious what Tim thinks.

[@71suns]

According to whom?

[@PennyDreadful2024]

I gather from what I heard he would disagree with that assertion. But yes, atheists tend to be more educated as a group than Christians

[@nancywysemen7196]

jesus didn't replace ethics? or has a saccharin jesus prevailed? "ye of little faith " i think......

[@larryprimeau5885]

Reagan said the same thing and used the same words.."make America great again", and he received the blessings of Jerry Falwell and other evsngelical groups, so I'm not going to give Trump any credit, especially the designation of being brilliant in anyway.

[@spacecoyote6646]

Too many commercials for pseudoscientific Medical Treatments make me doubt the authority of this KZbin channel

[@christianmichaels9741]

I'm going to continue to comment. We were not created as a Christian Nation. We were created by petitioning God for the wisdom and insight to come up with it's form and it's function, understanding what freedoms were given not by man but as clearly 'from the Start'. And understanding that 'man' has no say in the relationship another has with God the Government cannot dictate that relationship. But there is no document that denies God's relationship with the Nation. In fact the Founders admonished that citizens acknowledge God, the source of wisdom and insight and to apply for them as they did in maintaining a sound government - "or lose the Republic we've given you." And, by relying upon our opinions to govern instead of trusting in God as our motto claims but is only given lip service to, we are losing the Republic to liars and schemers and Corporate Greed and dishonest fake Christian televangelists and Evangelicals who imagine like Trump does, that their opinions are the same as wisdom and insight from God. While God declares, "Lean not on your own understanding." But of course, screw what God says about it. Religious folks know a lot more than Spiritually wise and insightful folks know. But we're not liking the outcome of their opinions and wondering why it ain't working out so good. 'IN GOD WE TRUST'? Not since Eisenhower. We trust in our own opinions. And it will never work til we shift to the application of our motto that has thus far only the same intention of Trump holding up a Big Black Book' of which he knows nothing, nor cares to know. It was a scam to attract his favorite people, those who are stupid and easy to Con. Amen.

[@kevy8377]

But trusting in a fiction (God/'Goddess/religion) is no guarantee of a better outcome.

[@bumpkinskill]

Tim Alberta has not done the political theory necessary to understand the relationship between Christianity and politics.

[@kevy8377]

??

[@pmtoner9852]

Idiocy

[@robertjohnherrick2800]

Yeah, but it makes perfect sense when raised from birth to believe.

[@Ann-ey1tw]

I was fortunate enough to see Tim at the TribFest festival in Austin last week. He really helped me understand how the Evangelicals support Trump. He is excellent!