From the Lynching Tree to Donald Trump: Taking James Cone Seriously As We Examine White Evangelical Support for Trump

James Cone explains to Chris Hedges what motivated him to write his magisterial work The Cross and the Lynching Tree: 

In Memory of James Cone: "The Conspicuous Absence of the Lynching Tree in American Theological Discourse and Preaching Is Profoundly Revealing"

The lynching tree—so strikingly similar to the cross on Golgotha—should have a prominent place in American images of Jesus' death. But it does not. In fact, the lynching tree has no place in American theological reflections about Jesus' cross or in the proclamation of Christian churches about his Passion. The conspicuous absence of the lynching tree in American theological discourse and preaching is profoundly revealing, especially since the crucifixion was clearly a first-century lynching. In the "lynching era," between 1880 to 1940, white Christians lynched nearly five thousand black men and women in a manner with obvious echoes of the Roman crucifixion of Jesus. Yet these "Christians" did not see the irony or contradiction in their actions.

~ James H. Cone, The Cross and the Lynching Tree (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2011), pp. 30-31.

Mark Labberton to Fellow White Evangelicals on Collusion with Trump: "Such Collusion Has Been Our Historic Habit"

The following is from a statement that Fuller Seminary President Dr. Mark Labberton gave to the "evangelical consultation" at Wheaton College on 16 April 2018. This event was a highly publicized invitation-only gathering of evangelical leaders to share concerns about what (white) evangelical Christians in the U.S. have done to themselves and the evangelical brand by hitching their star to one Donald Trump: Mark Labberton told those gathered for this meeting, 

Ruth Krall, "Reflections Vis-à-vis Today’s SNAP": A Guest Posting — "Onus Is on the Newly Configured SNAP Board to Move into Transparency with All of Its Members"

As longtime Bilgrimage readers will know, I've been a longtime supporter of the group Survivors Network for Those Abused by Priests (SNAP). I've persistently defended SNAP when some of its detractors came to this site to attack the organization and its leaders and work. Like Ruth (but not to such a great extent, I suspect, as in Ruth's case), I've contributed financially to SNAP. I've also very gladly assisted in SNAP's work in a variety of ways, when I have been called on to do so. 

Toronto Van Attack: We "Continue to Find Any Reason for Violent Misogyny Besides Violent Misogyny"

Emer O'Toole, "If incels' violent misogyny had a role in Toronto, we mustn't downplay it":

Desiring God on Why Homosexuality Is Not Like Other Sins: A Response

they’re finally saying what they’ve never been bold enough to say pic.twitter.com/oGSFUYnigO

— Broderick Greer (@BroderickGreer) April 23, 2018

As Broderick Greer points out, they're finally saying what many of us have known all along they think, as they preach their "good news" to LGBTQ people: homosexuality isn't the only sin in the book. But it's different. It's different right now.

Ed Kilgore: "If You Take White Evangelicals Out of the Picture, Trump's Standing with the Rest of the Population Is Really Low"

Never mind Fox. Trump’s most reliable media mouthpiece is now Christian TV https://t.co/eROC5YeHOB via @POLITICOMag pic.twitter.com/Ge2fuf5gmO

— POLITICO (@politico) April 23, 2018

Ed Kilgore, "Nobody Likes Trump Except White Evangelicals":