Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation

Using Du Mez’s discussions of militant masculinity and figures like Phyllis Schlafly as a springboard, describe conservative evangelical femininity. How does Du Mez address it? What is the relationship between that femininity and evangelical militant masculinity?

Research a work of modern fictional media (film, television, graphic novels, or literature) that features a historical portrayal of Jesus (such as the novel or film The Last Temptation of Christ, the graphic novel Judas, the film Passion of the Christ, or the TV series The Chosen). How does this portrayal follow or defy the evangelical, masculine image of Jesus that Du Mez discusses? What does this portrayal say about the history of conservative evangelicals in the US and their relationship with mainstream popular culture?

What is the role of masculinity in the history and ideology of conservative evangelical Christians? Examine Du Mez’s claim that this vision of masculinity is based more on cultural and social developments than on Christianity. Use textual evidence to argue a stance that agrees or disagrees with Du Mez.

What is the relationship between consumerism, capitalism, and conservative evangelical culture? Examine why, based on Jesus and John Wayne and additional research, the Religious Right so strongly supports free-market capitalism.

What is Christian nationalism’s connection to evangelical Christianity? How has Christian nationalism influenced contemporary American politics? What does Christian nationalism reveal about conservative evangelical attitudes and approaches to politics and democracy in the US?

Continuity and change are two points of focus historians can adopt in their work. What are some examples of continuity or change in Du Mez’s narrative? Is the story of evangelical Christianity in Jesus and John Wayne more about continuity or about change? Explain using textual evidence.

Describe conservative evangelical attitudes toward sex. How does sex and sexuality influence right-wing politics in the modern US? How do the political stances of the Religious Right reflect these attitudes toward sex?

Du Mez writes that “the history of American Christianity itself is filled with voices of resistance and signs of paths not taken” (14). How does Du Mez’s narrative support that point? Alternatively, was the rise of the Religious Right was actually inevitable, and if so, why? Use textual evidence to argue a stance.