Michael Gorman’s Reading of Revelation and the Idolatry of Donald Trump

There is an excellent piece in The American Conservative by Bonnie Kristian (a Bethel Seminary grad) on The Idolatry of Donald Trump where she resources Michael Gorman’s book Reading Revelation Responsibly and his critique of dictators masquerading as divine, and uses it as a sober warning against Trump:

Americans might rightly protest that we don’t ascribe divinity to the presidency, but the office is undoubtedly sacralized. Its successes—notably in foreign policy—are attributed to divine blessing. Conventional politicians may be more politic than Trump, but most will happily harness God to tow their pet projects. A classic example is what theologian Michael J. Gorman labels the “divine passive voice,” in which, often in the run-up to war, presidents say things like “We are called…” to subtly invoke a holy authority for their plans. In a Trump White House, the voice would simply become slightly more active.

Well worth a read!