Jason Kirk
asked
Jason Kirk:
[Answering questions that I wasn't able to get to during our book launch party.] From Cincinnati David: "Was 9/11 the foundation of a fundamental change in the teaching and messaging in church? This was touched upon in the book but I was wondering what your personal experience was in 2001."
Jason Kirk
9/11, 2016, January 6th, and Brown v. Board of Education were significant turning points within American religion, not so much because they changed what was getting preached, but because they changed the volume, intensity, and demands for fealty. The masks slipped, little by little, until they revealed to everyone who hadn't noticed yet that the movement that'd allegedly been founding on anti-abortion politics had actually been founding on white grievance.
We can go back and see the shift in political messaging in conservative churches, though it was already intensely anti-Democrat, queerphobic, and anti-immigrant. See: the weepy-warrior Promise Keepers giving way to the manly, manly gruntball theatrics of Neo-Calvinism, Mel Gibson, and guys who liked Teddy Roosevelt way too much.
My personal 2001 experience: My timeline and Isaac's were different. I'd already begun tuning out conservative pastors as best I could, but 9/11 definitely fed my ingrained apocalyptic fears (and hunger). The night of 9/11, I had Zao's "Liberate te ex Inferis" (a metal album about going to Hell) on loop as one friend read Revelation over and over — and six others played Gran Turismo for like nine hours.
We can go back and see the shift in political messaging in conservative churches, though it was already intensely anti-Democrat, queerphobic, and anti-immigrant. See: the weepy-warrior Promise Keepers giving way to the manly, manly gruntball theatrics of Neo-Calvinism, Mel Gibson, and guys who liked Teddy Roosevelt way too much.
My personal 2001 experience: My timeline and Isaac's were different. I'd already begun tuning out conservative pastors as best I could, but 9/11 definitely fed my ingrained apocalyptic fears (and hunger). The night of 9/11, I had Zao's "Liberate te ex Inferis" (a metal album about going to Hell) on loop as one friend read Revelation over and over — and six others played Gran Turismo for like nine hours.
More Answered Questions
Joshua
asked
Jason Kirk:
I'm about 10 years older than your protags. It was fascinating seeing how Columbine & 9/11 affected teens in the 00s. Basically, I loved this book and felt seen & it made me cry in a good way many times. Ever listen to any of the christian music anymore? I'll still give old Newsboys a spin, especially Elle G. They were at least honest about how Christianity isn't all praise and preach.
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