The Christian Nationalist circus is full of actors confused about who they are supposed to entertain—the paying customers or the Ringmaster? Among the acts are the clowns, the little cars filled with grown humans squished together, and those who will lie quietly on a bed of nails rather than express their own truth.
However, I think the acts most valued in this circus are the contortionists. These showmen/showwomen contort the law, the truth, and themselves to seek favor with the ringmaster, ignoring those who paid for the ticket.
A group of them stood around the resolute desk at the White House last week like tail feathers on a turkey and, once again, loudly declared that the founding fathers never intended a separation between church and state. They were there to promote their view of Christianity, which, as has been stated on more than one occasion, is not at all what Jesus taught.
Buddy Shurden’s book, Four Fragile Freedoms, outlines four concepts that shape Baptist identity, but are relevant for other Christian traditions. They include Bible Freedom, Soul Freedom, Church Freedom, and Religious Freedom.
When I taught the book, students usually had no trouble with Soul Freedom, were a little more confused by Bible Freedom, and were unaware of the goal of fellowship around Church Freedom. However, there was always strong pushback when we talked about Religious Freedom. They could not reconcile their calling to make disciples with people’s free will to choose. We seemed to have contorted our free will to Calvin.
It isn’t just men in suits who are able to contort themselves to maintain their perceived roles of privilege while pleasing the powers that be.
I have a friend who attended chapel at her Southern Baptist Seminary in the 1990s. Ironically, the speaker that day was Dorothy Patterson, the wife of Paige Patterson. In Baptist circles, he is known as part of the tribunal that laid out the master plan for the Southern Baptist “Conservative Resurgence,” which began reshaping the Southern Baptist Convention in their own image.
One of the hallmarks of their conservative strategy was that women could not serve as pastors, so before Dorothy began to speak, she stated that she was not there to preach.
Her rationale still makes me laugh. She said a sermon has three points, and her talk that day would have only two. Maybe four, but not three.
On other occasions, I have heard her contort her explanations about wearing jewelry, makeup and the role of a married woman as she spoke to an audience that included men. She was an early model of Christian Nationalist Contortionist.
Many women in the movement have come so far since then. Now, not a small number of them say they would gladly give up their vote and let their husbands vote for them.
The contortionist performing for the Ringmaster may be a ruse. Could this be a continuation of their long game? Are they setting the table to get what they have always wanted? To be ringmasters of their own circus?
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Retired campus minister, campus ministry coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina, and Collegiate Specialist for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.