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Cross Purposes: One believer's struggle to reconcile the peace of Christ with the rage of the Far Right
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 21, 2021
Roughly 80 percent of America’s evangelical Christians voted for Donald Trump in 2016, and again in 2020. But my friend and former newspaper colleague, Bob Welch, was not among them.
Welch, so dismayed by the reality of Christians embracing a politician who is the antithesis of Christ’s teachings, ultimately felt called to write a book about it. The result, “Cross Purposes,” is an anguished personal memoir AND an impressively researched dissection of a citizenry awash in cognitive dissonance.
It takes a lot of courage for an author, whose primary community consists of fellow Christians, to write such a book. Welch understands that backlash and the loss of some lifelong friends is part of the equation.
As a nonbeliever, I empathize with but cannot fully appreciate the sense of existential shock that Welch encounters as the evidence mounts, between the years 2015 and 2021, that he is “the exception and not the rule among evangelists” when it comes to Trump.
Through his research, he seeks answers as to why this is so.
“Why are we willing to embrace a man who is clearly so diametrically opposed to the values, spirit and temperament of Christ?” Welch writes to another Christian who supports Trump. “Fear, plain and simple. Which suggests ours is no faith at all. It’s simply a habit.”
Welch writes about the lure of The Tribe (politically likeminded citizens) and cites polling suggesting that most white evangelicals see themselves first as Republicans, second as whites and third as evangelicals. He cites other research that connects the dots between some Americans’ embrace of Christian nationalism and their propensity to believe in conspiracy theories about election fraud, COVID, “reverse racism” and the like.
Welch maintains that his personal faith has been tested but strengthened through the Trump years. While he offers a variety of “hope for the future” suggestions on how a more authentic Christianity can regerminate, he admits he is not fully convinced that the Church “is courageous enough” to make that happen. And even “less convinced that ‘evangelical’ is how I want to be defined.”
There’s much to ponder here, for the Christian and non-Christian alike.
Welch, so dismayed by the reality of Christians embracing a politician who is the antithesis of Christ’s teachings, ultimately felt called to write a book about it. The result, “Cross Purposes,” is an anguished personal memoir AND an impressively researched dissection of a citizenry awash in cognitive dissonance.
It takes a lot of courage for an author, whose primary community consists of fellow Christians, to write such a book. Welch understands that backlash and the loss of some lifelong friends is part of the equation.
As a nonbeliever, I empathize with but cannot fully appreciate the sense of existential shock that Welch encounters as the evidence mounts, between the years 2015 and 2021, that he is “the exception and not the rule among evangelists” when it comes to Trump.
Through his research, he seeks answers as to why this is so.
“Why are we willing to embrace a man who is clearly so diametrically opposed to the values, spirit and temperament of Christ?” Welch writes to another Christian who supports Trump. “Fear, plain and simple. Which suggests ours is no faith at all. It’s simply a habit.”
Welch writes about the lure of The Tribe (politically likeminded citizens) and cites polling suggesting that most white evangelicals see themselves first as Republicans, second as whites and third as evangelicals. He cites other research that connects the dots between some Americans’ embrace of Christian nationalism and their propensity to believe in conspiracy theories about election fraud, COVID, “reverse racism” and the like.
Welch maintains that his personal faith has been tested but strengthened through the Trump years. While he offers a variety of “hope for the future” suggestions on how a more authentic Christianity can regerminate, he admits he is not fully convinced that the Church “is courageous enough” to make that happen. And even “less convinced that ‘evangelical’ is how I want to be defined.”
There’s much to ponder here, for the Christian and non-Christian alike.
December 27, 2023
This book, so well researched, is a game-changer. I am still digesting all I've learned and felt. We will be discussing this book at book club in January so I have a bit of time to put all my thoughts in order and to report back on what I think is the most important points in the book.
In the meantime, I implore you to read this book if you, like me, have wondered how an evangelical christian can support such an amoral man as Donald Trump. It will open your eyes, and hopefully lead to changes in the way we all communicate with each other.
My review and some discussion questions:
https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/...
In the meantime, I implore you to read this book if you, like me, have wondered how an evangelical christian can support such an amoral man as Donald Trump. It will open your eyes, and hopefully lead to changes in the way we all communicate with each other.
My review and some discussion questions:
https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/...
July 25, 2022
As those who know me, I don't throw out 5 stars willy-nilly. This book could have been written by me, if I had a writers talent that is. Bob Welch went through a soul searching journey, looking for the answers to voting with the GOP, i.e. Trump. He didn't, and I didn't vote for him either time. I urge you to read this well researched book and let it speak to your mind and heart.
January 30, 2022
Bob Welch had me with the subtitle, “One believer’s struggle to reconcile the peace of Christ with the rage of the far right.”
And from the moment I cracked the cover, I felt as if MY experience over the past few years had written themselves over these pages.
The growing alliance to the republican party, by evangelicals, has increased intolerance of those who disagree (even in part) with their politics. Lines are drawn like the church sanctuary’s center isle with guns protecting those on the right. I‘ve wondered, which side is the bride’s seating? What’s happened to the church?
The opinions in this well-written, heavily-researched, and courageous Memoir echo that of many of us (American Christ followers) - How can volumes of evangelicals pledge allegiance to a man without morals, forsake the facts of science in a pandemic, and behave in hate toward their brother? I don’t align with this. What do I do? WWJD?
And from the moment I cracked the cover, I felt as if MY experience over the past few years had written themselves over these pages.
The growing alliance to the republican party, by evangelicals, has increased intolerance of those who disagree (even in part) with their politics. Lines are drawn like the church sanctuary’s center isle with guns protecting those on the right. I‘ve wondered, which side is the bride’s seating? What’s happened to the church?
The opinions in this well-written, heavily-researched, and courageous Memoir echo that of many of us (American Christ followers) - How can volumes of evangelicals pledge allegiance to a man without morals, forsake the facts of science in a pandemic, and behave in hate toward their brother? I don’t align with this. What do I do? WWJD?
September 15, 2023
I found this book while researching another book about Band of Brother SGT. Don Malarkey “Saving My Enemy” authored by Bob Welch and I began to research a few other books he wrote and came across “Cross Purposes” and after listening to a section I knew this would be my next book.
I was impressed with Bob Welch’s response to the past 7 years and the destruction of the Trump Years -especially to our evangelical Christian churches and also the division it has caused in our country. It was no accident Trump choose the moral majority and he damn well didn’t believe in it -he used it. In this book Mr. Welch takes his time and explains why he couldn’t support Trump with a quote by Maya Angelou “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.” He ends each chapter with a “ hope for the future” that also tells us what Welch believes in.
Another nice touch he shortly provides some history of the moral majority coming to power. He backs up this entire book with facts and direct quotes from people other than himself.
I believe It also took guts for him to write this book because he is pretty conservative but with a outlook of the goal for Christians is to be more Christlike and not just choosing the worst of two evils It is simply: “fear or faith” which will we choose?
I also liked his past works as an editor/writer/ ghost writer and mainly I liked he has helped people and a vet get their story out in publish. He truly walks the walk.
In closing: I imagine it took a lot for him to write this book and lost some of HIS Trump supporting friends along the way-saying “he went left “ and it was just because he choose to have an opposite opinion than they did. Typical “whinging” of the people he wrote about in this book. Give it a listen and see for yourself. .
I was impressed with Bob Welch’s response to the past 7 years and the destruction of the Trump Years -especially to our evangelical Christian churches and also the division it has caused in our country. It was no accident Trump choose the moral majority and he damn well didn’t believe in it -he used it. In this book Mr. Welch takes his time and explains why he couldn’t support Trump with a quote by Maya Angelou “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.” He ends each chapter with a “ hope for the future” that also tells us what Welch believes in.
Another nice touch he shortly provides some history of the moral majority coming to power. He backs up this entire book with facts and direct quotes from people other than himself.
I believe It also took guts for him to write this book because he is pretty conservative but with a outlook of the goal for Christians is to be more Christlike and not just choosing the worst of two evils It is simply: “fear or faith” which will we choose?
I also liked his past works as an editor/writer/ ghost writer and mainly I liked he has helped people and a vet get their story out in publish. He truly walks the walk.
In closing: I imagine it took a lot for him to write this book and lost some of HIS Trump supporting friends along the way-saying “he went left “ and it was just because he choose to have an opposite opinion than they did. Typical “whinging” of the people he wrote about in this book. Give it a listen and see for yourself. .
October 9, 2023
Longtime Eugene, Oregon newspaper columnist Bob Welch is also an evangelical Christian. He had always walked a careful line in his work, trying to be an impartial journalist while living his faith. But when he was troubled as Donald Trump and the evangelicals who supported him seemed more and more to be following Trump and the gospel of the Far Right more than they followed Jesus. He decided he had to speak out about how far people, including many of his friends, seemed to be straying from what they claimed to believe. How could they believe in a God of love and sacrifice and preach winning, personal gain, and hate? In this book, he takes us from Trump’s first appearance as a presidential candidate through the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. This is a deeply personal yet well-searched exploration of what has been happening in America and among the ranks of evangelical Christians. Readers will learn things they never knew about what was happening in Washington and end with a lot to think about.
April 28, 2024
I appreciated reading Bob Welch’s book in which he called out the hypocrisy of the Christian Right’s unequivocal support for Donald Trump’s presidency. As an Evangelical Christian himself, Bob writes from a unique position. He shares the conflict he has experienced in attempting to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and seeing the callous and sinful words and actions of Trump.
The conflict the author has shared reinforces the same feelings I have had about the hypocrisy of the Christian Right and their blind support of the Trump presidency. While the concept for the book was well written and well intentioned I don’t believe it will change the entrenched beliefs held by many Evangelical Christians.
The conflict the author has shared reinforces the same feelings I have had about the hypocrisy of the Christian Right and their blind support of the Trump presidency. While the concept for the book was well written and well intentioned I don’t believe it will change the entrenched beliefs held by many Evangelical Christians.
June 6, 2024
I admire the courage of the author to write a book that tackled very difficult topics surrounding Christianity and the far right. He had to wrestle with staying true to the tenets of Christianity while observing how many Christians were foregoing Jesus’s teachings to follow an idol while ignoring the teachings of Christ.
I wish I had the courage to give a copy of this book to the many friends I admire who still find reasons to support Trump. To me this is a must read for anyone who claims to be a Christian whether they support Trump or not. In this election year it seems crucial to understanding our role as a Christian.
I wish I had the courage to give a copy of this book to the many friends I admire who still find reasons to support Trump. To me this is a must read for anyone who claims to be a Christian whether they support Trump or not. In this election year it seems crucial to understanding our role as a Christian.
April 3, 2022
My favorite author has written an interesting memoir. I feel that I need to read this book again. There were many points made that I would like to see how they match up to the things I believe. I am not an evangelical, but am a Christian.
April 16, 2025
Well reasoned explanation of the confusion some Christians (including me) feel about the Christian Nationalism movement supporting Trump.
January 13, 2025
This is a great book for anyone trying to navigate the gulf between the politics of the blue and red, and feeling left out by both sides. Bob Welch probably won't resolve the problem for you, because he lives there himself. But you are likely to find reassurance that you are not alone, and that there are valid reasons for the political shadowlands in which you find yourself.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews