In a question and answer session in Dubuque, Iowa, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said, “I love the Bible. I’m a Protestant. I’m a Presbyterian. I went to Sunday school.”
He went on to identify New York’s Marble Collegiate Church as the place where his religious identity was formed under the teachings of Norman Vincent Peale. The famous author of “The Power of Positive Thinking” so captivated the young Trump that he says, “you hated to leave church.”
Peale was very much the Joel Osteen of his day which may be why Trump sees his stock rising among a sector of American evangelicalism.
Trump has said that he’s winning support from evangelical Christians who he describes as “”incredible people who are really smart, and they want to see our country thrive.” But exactly who is he talking about? The Tea-vangelicals? The social-justice evangelicals?
Trump’s “evangelical” supporters are the God-fearing, Christmas-churchgoing, Protestant work-ethic/manifest destiny believing, can-do capitalists. They are in every denomination and none. They think of themselves as Christians but they see no real need to have every aspect of their lives aligned with an arcane morality. Trump is tapping into the spirit and power of positive thinking that pervades the teachings of modern cultural evangelists like Oprah Winfrey and Joel Osteen.
Trump remembers this as pastor Peale’s philosophy, but most today know it by its echoes in the “health and wealth gospel.” If you listen, you can hear it in almost every line of Trump’s “I’ll make America great again” platform. It resonates with the innate desire within every human to rise, be raised, and live a life that is worthy of their calling.
Theologically, it misses the mark, but politically it’s cat-nip to millions who see themselves as Bible loving Protestants who went to Sunday School when they were kids and hold out hope for a better America.
For 100 years big American celebrity personalities have been knitting the power of positive thinking into our cultural fabric.
Athletic coaches like UCLA’s John Wooden (1910-2010) who said “things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
Business coaches of every American generation like Zig Ziglar (1926-2012), Anthony Robbins and Seth Godin. Ziglar said “you cannot tailor-make the situations in life but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations.” Robbins says, “Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that disempowers them or one that can literally save their lives.” Godin says, “Optimism is the most important human trait, because it allows us to evolve our ideas, to improve our situation, and to hope for a better tomorrow.”
Social coaches like Oprah Winfrey who said, “the greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”
Trump is dishing up what Americans have been programmed to crave: positive American Protestant. It’s more Mahatma Gandhi than Jesus Christ but most Americans don’t know enough of the Bible to recognize the difference.
It was Gandhi and not Jesus who said, “Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.”
Og Mandino (1923-1996) wrote a book entitled “The Greatest Salesman in the World.” My guess is that Trump has read it. In it, Mandino writes, “Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter….You were not born to fail.” These are the things we want to believe about ourselves and our nation and Trump is striking that chord.
Trump never comes right out and says that he’s running on a “Protestant work ethic/Spirit of Capitalism” platform, but that’s the infrastructure undergirding his mammoth personality. He sincerely believes what Peale and now Osteen preach. It resonates with generations of Americans who otherwise share no commonality. The reason he gets away with so many things that are considered non-politically correct is that he’s saying so many other things that ring the deeply ingrained “Protestant work ethic/Spirit of Capitalism” bell that Max Weber identified more than 100 years ago.
We don’t consciously remember Weber nor even Peale. But we channel them all day long in every variety of coaching. From ball fields to board rooms to ministries the “can do” power of positive thinking parroted by parents, teachers, comedians, pastors, and even eight years ago by a “hope and change” candidate that became President, is projected by candidate Trump.
Trump doesn’t speak to the thin veneer of compulsory sensitivity training we’ve all endured. He speaks to the bones of who we are: people who love the Bible, are Protestant, and went to Sunday School. It doesn’t matter so much that he does not live a Biblical ethic in his personal nor professional life. It doesn’t matter that he fails to treat people as if they are all equally made in God’s image. What matters is that it satisfies the appetite developed by a cultural “can do” mantra.
People are tired of hearing that America “can’t.” Like the little engine that could, we know in our heart of hearts that we can! “Yes, we can!” Sound familiar? Resonate with something in you so deep you didn’t even know it was there anymore? Yep. That’s what Trump is touching and if he keeps ringing that bell then like Pavlov’s dogs then an overwhelming majority of Americans are likely to pull the lever for him in November 2016.
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“I love the Bible”
Everyone who reads this article should send Trump a Bible,
E- mail Trump a quote from the BIBLE, OR START PRAYING FOR OUR COUNTRY.
That might get some attention ……..
When Trump has to start spending his own money to finance his run as opposed to free publicity, that just might be the end, right now he’s hitting a certain base with what they want to hear.
Excellent article, Carmen. The pseudo theology of positive thinking pervades our culture and the church today. “You can do it!” is a far cry from the Gospel which says we are sinners who are hopless and powerless apart from Christ.
L.Lee,
Others beat you to this idea. Apparently thousands of people have sent Donald Trump bibles over the years. He says he has quite a collection. Read this from a 2011 interview: http://www.alan.com/2011/04/11/donald-trump-professes-his-faith-to-cbn-and-says-people-send-him-bibles/#
One of the things trending right now on Twitter is #TrumpBible. Its a satirical thread about the parts of the Bible that Trump may not be familiar with as well as imaginings of what a Trump-bible might say. Both a sad and humorous commentary on our times. – Carmen
Excellent analysis
“…having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
There has always been a lot of feel good theology out there. Many of the so-called mega-churches are rife with pop music and pop Christianity. “You must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” Really? where is that found in scripture?
Carmen is on the mark in her description of lightweight faith.
I am always suspicious of the religious claim of politicians. Deciding to build a dam or build a road or fund education is not about faith.
Emperor Constantine apparently wasn’t much of a Christian either, but I believe he was an improvement over Nero.
I think even a light weight self-proclaimed Presbyterian would be an improvement over the liberation theology influenced and Islam influenced individual we now have.
Those within our denomination and the Mainline evangelicals who sniff at Trump’s gospel can also go with “Rev.” Jim Wallis!
To James H.: a key part of the Peale/American spiritual ethos is “put your money where your mouth is.” Trump will spend his own money as it is part of the bones of American spirituality talked about in the article. This is different from the Jim Wallis et.al. evangelicals and liberals run the nation and what’s left of the PCUSA who excel at spending other people’s monies.
If Trump were still and active member of Marble Collegiate Church I might buy the “Peale/American spiritual ethos”, frankly I doubt Trump has darkened the door of a church in years, except for weddings, funerals etc…..
James H. – Easy enough to check out. I’m sure some enterprising reporter will do so between now and November 2, 2016.
People are drawn to Trump for his message, no doubt. Some leaders in PCUSA are doing the opposite. They drive normal people away from Christianity by placating the purveyors of sexual deviance.
How many Christians are really Christian in their dealings or have a strong sene of ethics? As a retired pastor, there were many who were
regular in attendance in worship and education but many formed the third circle from the church’s center of core commitment: the nominal
Christian.
I know that many want more from church members. Since we moved from the way of piety at least two generations ago, the ones who gave
to church and denominational foundations because these folk took their Christian Faith seriously, there appears to me to be a lukewarm
commitment from many in the pew.
Or perhaps the folks in the pew are going by the light that the pulpit and the Sunday School lessons provided? If the light was weak, do not blame the laity.
I heard Dr. Peale in the Marble Collegiate Church. Dr. Peale influenced
Robert Schular who founded the Crystal Cathedral in Calfornia. In one of the last years of his life, I heard Dr. Peale in the Cathedral. I was in
California for a society meeting, so I wanted to investigate the inside workings of the Cathedral. By good fortune, Dr. Peale was the preacher of the day.
He preached on of the most content ladened Gospel sermons I ever heard. I went to both morning services for the sermon; the message did not change.
Thus, I suggest that before we offer a rebuke or critique of any person’s faith, we may need to know what influences are the source.
Yes, Americans find whatever they wish to find in worship, hymns, gospel song, and education.
What strikes me is that a young Donald Trump listened to Dr. Peale’s messages and took them to heart. How many today listen with the same intensity and take our messages to heart?
Melanchthon, writing about worship, offered his insight: Worship is to move the heart and feed the mind.
Must your image of someone’s true faith be measured by how many references they can discus. No doubt this very successful Presbyterian has many facets in his life major…profession. He wnt To Warton not Bible school. He thrives on heavy dealing. .and what’s wrong with that Thank God he believes in people and has helped many in his way. Everyone shares their own expertise. He is capable of leading a nation and how to bring in the experts without trying to master all parts as we have an incompetent leader now pressing uniformity versus individuality. Everyone has their own way of making their faith meaningful. Let us pray should he succeed in this new endeavor of his he can bring back our liberty.
Trump is the only one to tell it like it is, and if elected will employ the best brains to have a successful time in office, unlike the person and administration which is bent on divide and conquer,lying, deceiving many for their votes. If elected, Trump will have to know how to deal with Congress since he wrote the book, “The Art of the Deal.” Our
prayers are needed for this nation.