As Trump hawks Bible, debate over ‘Christian America’ spreads outside church

April 12, 2024

Former president Trump’s endorsement of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless America” Bible is raising the question of whether religion is a uniting force or simply one more thing for Americans to fight over.

Religion News Service reports that evangelical minister Jim Wallis is pushing back against Trump’s use of the Bible as a symbol of power and a reminder to his supporters that their way of life is under attack. Wallis agrees that America is in crisis but worries that Trump’s approach will encourage Americans to tear each other apart.

The “God Bless America” Bible contains not only The King James Version of Christian scripture but also includes the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Wallis says it’s the Bible’s substance and not its symbolism that holds to power to address the nation’s ills and to “save democracy.”

Other members of the clergy have expressed skepticism that Trump is running as a defender of religious faith. The Rev. Amanda Henderson, director of the Institute of Religion, Politics & Culture at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver says Trump is one of a long line of political leaders who understand the power of religion as a political tool.

Henderson said, “At a time when so many people feel a sense of loneliness or disconnection, he is tapping into the desire we all have to be part of something bigger. We can’t dismiss that underlying need that people have to feel a sense of connection and belonging and to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”

According to Religion News Service, a recent Pew Research poll shows that 80% of Americans say religion’s influence in on the decline with half of those surveyed saying that they rarely or never attend church.

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