Male Voters, Values & the Church

Political reporters seem flummoxed about Latino voters, mostly men, encouraged by evangelical preachers and shifting toward the MAGA party.  Is it that mysterious?  Complicated perhaps, but probably not mysterious.

One hallmark of Latino culture is the ideal of hard working, honest men who take care of their families.  It’s an ethic to be proud of and the idea of family includes kinship to several degrees of remove.   Families gathered in communities of solidarity with one another is another hallmark. It has to be obvious to some of them that other communities, notably communities of affluent, educated Whites appear to flourish as they flaunt the virtues Latino men hold most dear. To whom can they turn?  Certain strands of conservative evangelical preaching celebrate virtues similar to their own, and they do it in everyday language that offers a straight forward, easily understood message said to be endorsed by God, and free of subordination to an authoritarian church. 

The same dynamic has been at work for decades among large portions of the American male public, especially in rural areas and poor urban neighborhoods.  There is a form of conservative evangelicalism that merged Jesus and what they call patriotic nationalism into a new religion they call Biblical. It promotes a patriarchal “macho” role for men that, to my mind, is a pale imitation of the virtues of hard work, honesty and caring for family. I try to observe from the edge of this crowd, so periodically I receive flyers promoting events calling for men to attend weekend retreats to recover the language that identifies  “real men,” with a dollop of Jesus to certify its legitimacy.  It sells well to a portion of the male population that has been told effete liberal society has emasculated them.  Only when they have recovered their manhood can society be put right again. 

Observations highly generalized as they are, they show the political effectiveness of conservative, nationalist evangelicalism.  If nothing else they have mastered the use of book publishing, church curricula, social media, and Youtube productions in ways that put more orthodox Christianity to shame. Take a look at the catalogues of Christian book sellers.  Surf the web.  Wander through Youtube.  They’ve hit ever nook and cranny with easy to consume, entertaining and understandable materials. They address major public issues with moral certainty and open hostility to the sins of “modernity,” whatever that means.  They assert that orthodox Christianity has sold out to liberal secularism wallowing in every form of wanton avarice. It’s all backed by a stable of well known, popular traveling preachers who ride the revival circuit.  They know exactly who their target audience is. They don’t aim too high; to use an old term – they go for middle and low brow prospects.  They do it all and it works enough of the time to flummox political reporters.

It explains, at least in part, why there is a measurable shift among Latino men, and why a significant population of White men have long found conservative evangelical nationalism to be attractive.  It’s a fascinating dynamic.  Conservative evangelical nationalism is focussed inward and seeks to circle the wagons and defend itself against feared modernity.  With Jesus bearing the flag, conservative evangelical Christian nationalists intend to be among the few saved, not the many damned. On the other hand, their media efforts, with well crafted materials, are focussed outward to appeal to a wide audience.

More orthodox Christians are focussed outward, seeking greater godly justice for all now and the salvation of all for eternity.  But their messaging is focussed inward appealing to those who are already part of the community of faith.  My denomination, Episcopalian, has committees that study issues and produce white papers. Our triennial Convention operates like a mini Congress.  We offer Christian study materials that require serious attention and probe for new understandings of what God is revealing today. Most of our public theologians are unknown on the well publicized speaking circuit.  Our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, may be the only exception.  Others, my own favorite is Rowan Williams, are well known among theologians and others serious about deep thinking, but they have little appeal elsewhere. 

I may stand corrected, but it seems to me that orthodox Christian denominations have been labeled as liberal elites who care nothing for ordinary people and the struggles they face.  Yet they are committed in the name of Jesus Christ to do what they can to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ Jesus, make more of God’s kingdom manifested in the world, and to work toward the good life for all.   In the words of Cool Hand Luke, what we have here is a failure to communicate.  Pentecost is drawing near.  On that day the Holy Spirit empowered the gathered assembly of Jesus’s followers to go into the streets proclaiming the Good News in words clearly, easily understood by people of many languages.  Maybe we have relied too much on our own intellectual prowess and not enough on the power of the Holy Spirit enabling us to speak boldly in plain language, with the cross, not the flag, leading us on.