It was only a matter of time before we were going to see conservative ideologies collide. In fact, I am surprised that something like this has not happened already. If you have spent any time in conservative circles, you are well aware at how quickly divisions can form. Dispensationalists against Calvinists; Lutherans against Catholics; and everyone against Pentecostals.
This was something that Donald Trump was apparently unaware of when he appointed Paula White-Cain to head up the faith department. Not only is she politically and theologically controversial, but she is also a woman; and in case it matters – Pentecostal.
White’s appointment is based on the fact that she has been a friend of the family for years. She is also the one who was responsible for spreading the rumor that Trump was a Christian during his first administration. She has been an invaluable resource for Trump throughout his two terms – providing him with the insider knowledge to court evangelicals. I provide in-depth details about their relationship and her role in Trump’s first campaign in the Kingdom of Man.
Enter Doug Wilson
Recently, theologian, apologist, and minister Douglas Wilson weighed in on the Paula White appointment on the popular Doug Wilson and Friends podcast. Wilson stated in his podcast that White consistently does embarrassing things and does not represent evangelical Christianity’s broader beliefs – primarily because she is Pentecostal. And of course, she’s also a woman.
Doug Wilson’s influence within evangelicalism over the past few years has become significant – especially fundamentalists. Wilson’s beliefs are right in line with the R. J. Rushdoony Christian Nationalist/Reconstructionist movement which results in a theonomical perspective. Although Wilson is a part of the conservative fringe, his influence has grown over the years to include more than just evangelical outsiders.
What makes Wilson’s critique important is that he is also a Calvinist. Calvinists make up a respectable size of Trump’s Cabinet and advisers as well as voting base. This situation not only raises tensions that have been going on for years, but it also demonstrates the intolerance that still exists within various conservative circles – something Trump should be familiar with.
Power and Control
I do not envy Trump’s situation. No doubt the next few years will prove difficult to manage all of the intolerance. With that said, it does demonstrate the extent to which intolerance is toxic – even within the intolerant group itself.
Trump’s evangelical base vote for him because it puts them in positions of power that might not otherwise happen under democratic leadership. Evangelical leaders are therefore, heads of committees and special interest groups that make or have influence over important issues like abortion and gender/sexuality. Having a Pentecostal woman at the helm must feel like a slap in the face – especially to moderates.
Many influential Pentecostal leaders have taken to social media to defend White. Perhaps the best response came from a video posted to X by Jonathan Shuttlesworth, A Pentecostal pastor who has three churches throughout the country. In the video he states that Calvinists are the ones behind the attacks and questions those attacks by appealing to their well-known belief regarding God’s sovereignty.
“So God made a mistake this time? I thought God knows what he’s doing and God has everything planned and we just accept what he planned. Don’t you teach that?”
My thoughts on Paula White being appointed by President Trump to the first ever White House Faith Office. pic.twitter.com/1o3GhHu5Pn
— Jonathan Shuttlesworth (@JDShuttlesworth) February 9, 2025
There is an ironic hilarity to statements like these as those outside of evangelicalism have been making this same argument every time conservatives get up in arms when a democrat is elected.
Wilson tries to reconcile the appointment of White as something “transactional”, a reward for years of support and service, with no intention of ever using the office. By spinning it this way, it allows people like Wilson to reconcile the appointment because ultimately it has no real power.
Wilson also critiques the appointment of Elon Musk and questions whether that was a good choice given the fact that he has a “serial harem of concubines.” Again, I can’t help but take note of the irony, when in fact, his President could also be described the same way. Perhaps all three need Jesus.
The promise of power is the primary reason evangelical leaders convince their followers to vote for Trump. This means that Trump has to be careful in how he appoints people to office. And sweet Jesus, please no more women! It’s like a double dose of irrationality with both White being a woman and a Pentecostal. (For my non-regular readers, and to make sure I’m not taken out of context, this is sarcasm.)
Final Thoughts
It is no secret that I am not a fan of Donald Trump, both as a person and as a president. And in general, I am not a huge fan of republicans even though I do agree with some of their political philosophy. With that said, since Trump has been elected, Washington has felt more like a middle school playground and less like taking the business of running our country seriously.
I get tired of seeing both democrats and republicans treating the Presidential office with avarice. I have two suggestions for all Presidents moving forward (only 2).
- Get back to the basics. The job of the President is to protect the constitution and Americans. That’s it. Certainly, there is a lot that can fall into doing that, but let’s not make it more complicated than it has to be. And let’s not use it as a pretense for things that really don’t have anything to do with it.
- If you want to get rid of a law or program, then replace it with something better. Too many times Presidents spend the first part of their time in office getting rid of laws and programs the previous President initiated. But doing this is irresponsible. For example, you want immigration control? Great, don’t just kick people out and block them from coming in. Instead, create common sense legislation that allows them to come in legally.
The reason you will never see rational leadership like this is because of power. Power corrupts because it forces people to engage in questionable behavior. And, when power is threatened, then it defaults to extreme behavior. Until we get rid of the stranglehold that special interest groups have on the political process, we will never have rational leadership. And that will be the reason for our downfall.
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