Kristin Kobes Du Mez is the author of the forthcoming Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation (Liveright; June 23, 2020). A professor of history at Calvin University with a focus on the intersections of gender, religion, and politics, Du Mez has written extensively for the Washington Post, The Christian Century, and Religion & Politics.
Mel Gibson’s sadomasochistic fantasy is beloved by evangelical Christians (and William Wallace wannabes like Ted Cruz), who wallow in its exaltation of violent, macho religion.
The merch illustrates a cultural identity that is clearly Christian but less about loving thy neighbor and more about loving thy guns and a militant white masculine ideal.
