A Golden Calf for a Golden Era
Trumpism is the Apex of American Christianity
Throughout history, religious movements have been shaped, distorted, and often weaponized by charismatic leaders. The evolution of Christianity, from its radical Jewish roots to its co-opting by Rome, demonstrates how power structures bend faith to serve their needs. Today, in the heart of America, a new form of Christianity has emerged, not one centred on the teachings of Jesus, but on the cult of a man: Donald J. Trump.
This is not a metaphor. This is not hyperbole. Across the Bible Belt and beyond, crosses and pulpits have been replaced with Trump flags and political rallies. The "new Christian" is no longer defined by love, humility, or grace, but by power, dominance, and retribution. A shift has occurred, supplanting the old trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with a new triumvirate: Trump the Father, Trump the Son, and Trump the Redeemer.
The Crucifixion of Traditional Christianity
Once upon a time, American Christianity was a complex, diverse movement, spanning pacifist Quakers, firebrand evangelicals, and Catholic traditionalists. Yet, over the past decades, it has been hollowed out, co-opted by a potent fusion of nationalism, capitalism, and grievance politics. The prosperity gospel paved the way, promising believers that wealth was a sign of divine favour. Megachurches replaced intimate congregations, and charismatic televangelists sold faith like a product.
Then came the perfect storm: economic instability, cultural shifts, and the fear that traditional American power was slipping away. Enter Trump, a man who never claimed moral virtue, yet was embraced as Christianity’s last, best hope. His brashness, cruelty, and unapologetic ego did not disqualify him. Instead, they became virtues in the eyes of millions who felt abandoned by a changing world.
When Trump declared, "I alone can fix it," the faithful listened.
Leavitt: "He feels strongly that it would be very beneficial for the Canadian people to be the 51st state of the United States."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-03-05T18:53:12.057Z
I struggle watching the social media response to all of this. You can't argue it. You can't logic it. Reason it. Talk to it. These are acolytes. This is religious fervour.
The Gospel of Trump
A new scripture has emerged, not written in sacred texts but in slogans, tweets, and Fox News broadcasts. The parables of Jesus are no longer the guiding philosophy; they have been replaced with the doctrine of winning, of strength, of vengeance against enemies.
In this new faith:
- The Beatitudes are rewritten—Blessed are the rich, for they shall own the libs. Blessed are the powerful, for they shall make America great again.
- Forgiveness is weakness—Trumpism preaches the gospel of domination, where to turn the other cheek is to betray one's nation.
- The Cross is traded for the Flag—The symbol of sacrifice is no longer Christ on the cross, but Trump’s silhouette against the stars and stripes.
He is seen not as a fallible leader, but as the chosen one. "Sent by God," as many evangelicals claim, his transgressions are excused, his cruelty justified, his flaws ignored.
The Church of Retribution
The Christian God once promised justice in the afterlife. The Trump God promises it now. His followers are not content to wait for divine reckoning; they seek vengeance on their enemies today. Judges, politicians, journalists, and immigrants, all are cast as heretics in the eyes of this new faith.
Where Christianity once preached mercy, this new American religion preaches punishment. Forgiveness is seen as appeasement. The sword is mightier than the cross. January 6th was not a day of shame but a holy crusade, a storming of the Capitol as though it were Jerusalem.
The New Nazi, The New Caesar
Trumpism is not just a religious movement; it's an ethno-nationalist one. The parallels to fascism are striking. In Nazi Germany, Christianity was reworked to fit a nationalist framework, Jesus became an Aryan warrior, the weak were despised, and power was seen as a divine right.
Trumpism follows a similar script:
- Enemies are dehumanized.
- Might makes right.
- Faith is tied to blood and soil.
The American flag is draped over the cross, and "Christian nationalism" rises as the dominant ideology. There is no contradiction between the teachings of Christ and the practices of Trumpism, because the latter has fully replaced the former. In this theology, there is no room for the Samaritan, only for the conqueror.
The Coming Schism
Like all cults, this one will face a reckoning. Christianity has been leveraged by emperors, inquisitions, and reformations. The question is: will the faithful recognize the deep perversion of their beliefs? Will the American church reclaim its soul, or will Trumpism cement itself as a permanent fixture in the faith?
Some have begun to resist, but the battle is far from over. If history is any guide, the fusion of religious zealotry with political power rarely ends peacefully.
The Return of the Golden Calf
In the book of Exodus, the Israelites, impatient for Moses to return, built a golden calf to worship. They needed something tangible, something immediate. Today, the golden calf is a man, clad in a red tie, promising deliverance not through grace, but through strength.
As history has shown, idols don't last forever. The question remains: when Trumpism crumbles, what will be left of America? What will be left of the world? Will anyone find redemption, or will the world burn for yet another wannabe deity?
This is not merely a political transformation. It is theological, cultural, and deeply existential. The old Christianity is gone. This new one, forged in the image of its chosen messiah, has yet to reveal what it truly is.
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B
American Christianity isn’t dying. It’s being reborn in the image of power, vengeance, and nationalism. The cross replaced with the flag, the gospel rewritten to reward domination, and a new godhead crowned: Trump.
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