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A ‘Masculinity Problem’Įarly in the 20th century, Du Mez writes, “Christians recognized that they had a masculinity problem.” If America was to be truly great and fully Christian, it had to man up. As it turned out, Du Mez argues, obedience wasn’t as much about goodness and grace as it was about power and who wielded it. In her recent book, Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, Calvin University historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez situates Gothard and Piper in a long line of white, alpha-male leaders whose devotion to a militant Christian patriarchy and nationalism inevitably led to exuberant support, among large numbers of white evangelicals, for Donald Trump as president-despite his clear deviation from anything evangelical in a spiritual or behavioral sense. The place was packed, mostly with young, male, goateed enthusiasts, wide-eyed in wonder over how good they had it as men in God’s economy. The Lord established male headship over women as part of creation’s order, Piper taught, for his glory and our joy. We hosted a special event featuring the popular Reformed evangelical pastor John Piper, who like Gothard stressed the importance of obedience in a hierarchical chain of command starting with God and descending to men over women and children. It was how authority in the universe supposedly worked.įast forward 20 years to a congregation I served as a minister in Boston. Moreover, God structured things such that she actually had to forgive me since she was a woman and I was a man. I told her about the seminar, about obedience and the blessings that awaited us both if she’d obey and forgive me. Needless to say, she was nonplussed and wondered why in the world I was calling. Gothard offered a script of contrition, so I looked up her phone number, dialed, and read my repentance. My mind immediately went to a high-school girlfriend I’d heartlessly dumped as I made my way to college four years prior. To be released from former transgressions freed us for future treasure, or something like that. Past conflict clogged up one’s conscience. Specifically, Gothard directed us to seek out those we’d offended and ask forgiveness. Obedience begets blessings, peace of mind, and confidence in one’s relationship with God. Gothard’s principles for life’s dilemmas included specific practices based on the Bible. Authority is God-given, Bill Gothard taught, and in his moral universe, any diversion from obedience disturbed the force and ignited interpersonal conflict, along with personal anger and resentment.
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As a recent college graduate in 1983, I sat spellbound with thousands in my southern city civic center, mesmerized by a mousy man projected on a big screen who taught us we must submit to authority in every domain of life.