Book · 2020 · History
Jesus and John Wayne
How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation
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In Jesus and John Wayne, Dumez writes, "As one working-class Vietnam veteran later recalled, he went to Vietnam to kill a Kami for Jesus Christ and John Wayne. It was sands of Euima that inspired Ron Kovic to volunteer for the Marines during the Vietnam War.
Why people recommend it
Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez is a cultural history examining how modern American evangelicalism became intertwined with militant masculinity, political aggression, and the cinematic persona of John Wayne. Robert Evans discussed the book across multiple episodes of Behind the Bastards while analyzing the cultural impact of John Wayne and the broader historical roots of muscular Christianity. Evans cited Du Mez's work to explain how figures like Theodore Roosevelt and evangelist Billy Sunday helped shape a rugged, combative ideal of American manhood that later influenced generations of men, including those who volunteered for the Vietnam War inspired by films like Sands of Iwo Jima. Furthermore, Evans utilized passages from the book to critique John Wayne's political commentary, reading from a 1971 Playboy interview to highlight the actor's harsh statements. Evans also drew on Du Mez's research to summarize the recurring themes in Wayne's most famous films, noting how his characters consistently engaged in violent conflicts that subjugated non-white populations, thereby cementing a cultural archetype that equated rugged masculinity with dominance and violence.
Every mention
Robert Evans In Jesus and John Wayne, Dumez writes, "As one working-class Vietnam veteran later recalled, he went to Vie… 5
“In Jesus and John Wayne, Dumez writes, "As one working-class Vietnam veteran later recalled, he went to Vietnam to kill a Kami for Jesus Christ and John Wayne. It was sands of Euima that inspired Ron Kovic to volunteer for the Marines during the Vietnam War.”
“So yeah, John Wayne chose not to get into politics in an electoral capacity, but he did spend the rest of his life bloiating about politics readily, as this passage from the book Jesus and John Wayne makes clear. In a 1971 interview in Playboy, Wayne was particularly harsh”
“The book Jesus and John Wayne continues, "All of Wayne's greatest hits involved valiant white men battling and usually subduing non-white populations, the Japanese, Native Americans, or Mexicans. Like Teddy Roosevelt, Wayne's rugged masculinity was realized through violence, and it was a distinctly white male ideal."”
“In in the book Jesus and John Wayne, Kristen Cobbs Dumez writes, "As a young man, Roosevelt had been ridiculed for his high voice, tight pants, and fancy clothing."”
“And I'm going to read another quote from Jesus and John Wayne here. Former professional baseball player Billy Sunday preached this new muscular Christianity with unrivaled zeal.”
