Have you seen Donald Trump in the news lately? If you haven’t then you haven’t been watching the news. The billionaire businessman seems to be making headlines daily.
Of course, a main reason for this is not only what Mr. Trump says but how he says it. He is striking a chord as something of an unfiltered populist. Many people claim that he is touching on issues that they want to be discussed. And as a result, he is fast becoming a voice for many Americans.
Trump the…Theologian?
Some recent comments indicate that his representation may be a bit more broad than simply the economy and immigration, however. Mr. Trump has been dipping his toe in the formidable ocean of religion.
But like any other topic, the outspoken Trump rarely simply dips in—he is more known for his “cannonball” comments. Speaking at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa recently he showed that he is more than a populist, he is actually a theologian.
When asked if asking for forgiveness was central to his faith, Mr. Trump replied, “I try not make mistakes where I have to ask forgiveness”. When pressed about repentance in an interview with Anderson Cooper of CNN, he replied, “I think repenting is terrific. Why do I have to repent or ask for forgiveness if I am not making mistakes? I work hard, I’m an honorable person.”
He really does speak for many Americans. His theological Shibboleth rings true in many ears.
With the media is lurching forward with everything this guy says, just waiting for him to bury himself, it is fascinating media. I read some who thought his Iowa comments would spell the end of him. “How could any evangelical vote for him after he said such things?”
I laughed. His is actually resonating with many spiritual Americans who are untethered to biblical Christianity. Far from marking the end of Trump’s relevance, his comments make relevant in a whole new way. “Trump’s a guy who works hard, knows he’s not perfect, and tries his best? And, he is religious. See, he just said so. This is a guy like me!”
The Influence of Old-School Life-Coaches
To give himself some “pew-cred” Trump has referenced the influence of Norman Vince Peale. Mr. Trump disclosed how he would listen to Peale’s sermons each week and be truly impacted. He also referenced the book The Power of Positive Thinking which thrust Peale into national popularity.
It should be no surprise that Trump’s on the street theology stems from this source. What’s more, it should not surprise us that many religious Conservatives can’t tell that he has burnt the theological toast either.
Michael Horton in his book Christless Christianity, writes about how much of the western church has slouched into the dangers posture of assuming the gospel. It is rarely cherished and regrettably disregarded. Several times in his book he references the impact of man-made, self-help religion that obscures the gospel by minimizing sin and distorting grace.
“‘Playing fast and loose with the Bible needed a liberal audience in the days of Norman Vincent Peal,” notes Yale theologian George Lindbec, ‘but now, as the case of Robert Schuller indicates, professed conservatives eat it up.’ …Peale was scolded by conservative Protestants for leaving out the most important aspects of Christian proclamation in favor of an upbeat message of self-help.” Horton, p. 66-67
The world that Peale described, and his champion disciple Schuller labored to build, is a reality for many today. We live in a world where it is nice to be nice and it is good to be good. This theological current has pulled many professing Christians slowly out to sea. Like a subtle but persistent ocean current, those being affected don’t realize the change and they are still in the water. However, over time, when looking back to shore, they have surely wandered.
The Relativization of Sin
Many today think of sin as what Hitler or Stalin did. Sin is ISIS beheading people not me being prideful. Sin is on the extremes not in the mainstream. This is why Donald Trump is not tripping over himself to ask forgiveness, he doesn’t think he needs to. There is no need to be overwhelmed with “For God so loved the world” because, well, after all, why wouldn’t he?
I am not picking on Trump here (and even if I was, something tells me he could handle it). He actually seemed very sincere. But you have got to see how what he is saying really does reflect what people on the ground believe.
On the other hand you have what the Bible says. It speaks of depravity not simply in things we do but who we are. We are separated from God because we are dead spiritually (Col. 1:21; Eph. 2:1-3). From birth we hate God and love ourselves (Titus 3:3; Rom. 1:30). We don’t simply need new habits but we need to be made new (2 Cor. 5:17; Jn. 3:3). We need a complete reboot not a few pointers.
In another section of Horton’s Christless Christianity, he references a conversation he had with Robert Schuller.
Over a decade ago, I had the opportunity to interview Robert Schuller on our radio program. During our two-hour conversation, the best-selling author and televangelist reiterated his arguments in Self-Esteem: The New Reformation.
A church, he says, can afford to think in a God-centered fashion, but a mission must put humans at the center. “It was appropriate for Calvin and Luther to think theocentrically,” writes Schuller, but now “the scales must tip the other way” toward a “human needs approach.” In fact, “classical theology has erred in its insistence that theology be ‘God-centered,’ not ‘man-centered.'”
Sin is defined as “any act or thought that robs myself or another human being of his or her self-esteem.
And what is ‘hell’? It is the loss of pride that naturally follows separation from God—the ultimate and unfailing source of our soul’s sense of self-respect… . A person is in hell when he has lost his self-esteem.” “The Cross sanctifies the ego trip.”
I asked Dr. Schuller how he would interpret the following admonition from Paul to Timothy: But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Before I was even able to compose my own question, my distinguished guest immediately responded to these apostolic words by saying, “I hope you don’t preach that. It will hurt a lot of beautiful people.”
The sad truth is that what is being peddled in many pulpits today is not very different from what Peale, Schuller, and now-however reluctantly- Donald Trump is saying.
What’s fascinating is that the media knows that this is not historic Christianity. Anderson Cooper was falling over himself trying to get Trump to talk about repentance. The question is, does the church see the deviation?
