Republicanism as Bad Religion: The "Cult" of Trump in Contemporary American Politics

Since Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, it has become commonplace for his opponents to refer to him as a "cult leader." The apparent fanaticism of his supporters inspires both awe and fear in observers. His propensity to disseminate conspiracy theories and alleged encouragement o...

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Nebentitel:"Special Issue: The Return of the Cult: Bad Religion in the Age of Trump and COVID"
1. VerfasserIn: Crockford, Susannah (VerfasserIn)
Medienart: Elektronisch Aufsatz
Sprache:Englisch
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Veröffentlicht: Equinox 2023
In: Implicit religion
Jahr: 2021, Band: 24, Heft: 2, Seiten: 219-243
normierte Schlagwort(-folgen):B Trump, Donald 1946- / USA / Personenkult / Rhetorik / Politischer Stil / Republican Party (USA) / Evangelikale Bewegung / Geschichte 2016-2021
IxTheo Notationen:CG Christentum und Politik
KAJ Kirchengeschichte 1914-; neueste Zeit
KBQ Nordamerika
KDG Freikirche
ZC Politik
weitere Schlagwörter:B Christian Nationalism
B Anthropology
B Rhetoric
B cult discourse
B Evangelicalism
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Since Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, it has become commonplace for his opponents to refer to him as a "cult leader." The apparent fanaticism of his supporters inspires both awe and fear in observers. His propensity to disseminate conspiracy theories and alleged encouragement of the Jan 6 insurrection pushes Trump beyond the boundaries of political norms. In this article, I trace the elements of Trump's rhetorical and political style that led to accusations of his being some sort of charismatic "cult leader." The analysis broadens to discuss the complex interconnections between modern Republicanism in the US and Protestant Christianity, examining how a form of nationalist morality has come to uphold their claims to power. Both opponents and supporters of Donald Trump see him in a religious frame, either as a dangerous authoritarian leader or messianic saviour. What does this tell us about the definitions and boundaries of religion and politics? And why does Donald Trump seem to trouble those boundaries?
ISSN:1743-1697
Enthält:Enthalten in: Implicit religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1558/imre.23200