The Pastor at Forefront of the MAGA Culture War
Plus: What you missed this week *and* a late night at the Kennedy Center.
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Meet the Millennial Pastor at the Vanguard of the MAGA Culture War
HELL, IN MOST POPULAR ACCOUNTS, is a rather timeless place. But according to Donald Trump’s spiritual adviser Paula White-Cain, it’s not entirely beyond the reach of time.
In fact, when a particular young minister wakes up in the morning, she recently said, an alarm goes off in the underworld. That’s how the devils know it’s time for Satan to get tormented.
Based in the Pacific Northwest, the minister White-Cain was admiring is a former Republican campaign operative and lobbyist-turned-pastor/influencer who has been developing a novel approach to Christian ministry that brings together right-wing politics, belligerence towards the press, digital-native media savvy, and revivalist evangelism. Though you have probably never heard of him, Pastor Russell B. Johnson and the independent charismatic church he founded, the Pursuit NW, have over the past decade built a religious fiefdom in Washington state that today features a growing network of church campuses and alternative educational institutions.
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The Great Books Are for Everybody
An unlikely champion of the canon urges readers not to think of the books as “belonging” to conservatives.
🚨OVERTIME🚨
Happy Saturday! What a rollercoaster of a Friday!
“Just one letter!” Kudos to our colleague Brendan Hartnett, who stayed up late manning the livestream camera of Donald Trump’s name being removed from obscured on the Kennedy Center. (Joining him were Matt Marshall, Chris Herbert, Adam Keiper, Jared Poland, and from afar, Jamie Abraham, monitoring the livestream from the control room.)
Was it a Berlin Wall moment? No. Rather, a historic night that will, symbolically, be remembered as future generations look back on the dangerous and utter stupidity of Trump 2.0. If you were one of the thousands of people who joined us on the stream(s), thanks for staying up and keeping it fun.
The U.S. defeated Paraguay 4-1 in their opening World Cup match… led by captain (and fellow Billiken) Tim Ream. What a showing! Bosnia, whom I heard playing in a friendly against Panama in Saint Louis last weekend, tied with Canada in Toronto. Of course, I am cheering for our neighbors to the north, too, but Bosnia? Their fans showed up. They did in STL and in Toronto. If you haven’t heard their banger of an anthem, be forewarned: It is an earworm.
How to Eat an Elephant… The tour! See where Sarah is going this fall to talk about her forthcoming book. It includes a stop in the Buckeye state. See you there?
Approaching the news “with a raw candor subscribers crave”… The Wall Street Journal did a profile on Sarah and The Bulwark which you won’t want to miss.
What happens when AI replaces readers? Matt Labash and “Chaz” take a turn with a Q&A.
Republicans brought a live elephant… To the Texas GOP convention. What happened next is not only predictable but picture perfect.
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Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.
So "pastor" Russell B. Johnson is another charlatan. Another self-ordained, power and wealth hungry grifter.
You know, that was one eloquent elephant. It was obviously embarrassed to be forced to represent the Republican party, and this was the only way to clearly signal its disapproval.
As for the WSJ article about Sarah, I was so proud of her. Kudos to The Bulwark for feeling like a community, when it's an even bigger deal than I realized. I'm going to have to talk nicer to you guys! Nah! 😉