Politics and The American Christian Revolution

Over the past few posts, I have been writing about the Christian fascism at the heart of America’s Providential History, a textbook used in homeschooling and private schools. Today, I want to wrap up my examination of the textbook by looking at the authors’ calls for Christians to become actively involved in politics at the local, state, and national level. Along with calling for Christian involvement in politics, Mark Beliles and Stephen McDowell call upon candidates, always refereed to as “man” or “men,” to have “Christian character” and engage in the work of politics from a “character-oriented” not an “issue-oriented” perspective. So, the individual must base their decisions and actions on “Biblical” principles, not matter if their constituents disagree with that position.

The textbook states that, based on scripture (Exodus 18:19–23 and other verses), political candidates should meet certain criteria: they should be experienced, fear God, have a “Biblical” worldview, and they “must ‘hate dishonest gain,” which for the authors “means that beyond a correct worldview, they must have Christian character, a godly home, and pure motives.” On the latter point, one’s “hate for dishonest gain,” the textbook pivots, ignoring that this phrase in Exodus where Jethro tells Moses that he needs to choose men who do not take bribes or take the position to increase their…