The implication behind this post is that Christians are raving zealots who hate new media out of a puritanical spite. But that’s a caricature of a much deeper problem.
Let’s take a look at the kinds of Christians in charge of media empires. 1/
Let’s take a look at the kinds of Christians in charge of media empires. 1/
The thing to understand about Matt Walsh is that he’s not a zealot. He may have very good Conservative stances on LGBT, abortion, contraception, and so on. But politics is not spirituality.
Matt Walsh is a trend chaser. He’s a merchant on the social media market. /2
Matt Walsh is a trend chaser. He’s a merchant on the social media market. /2
Everything from the way he presents himself to the his topics to his demeanor online communicates that he is a brand.
I don’t doubt that he has real faith, but he is a (spiritual) Boomer more interested in dunking on his political enemies than cultivating a real art scene. /3
I don’t doubt that he has real faith, but he is a (spiritual) Boomer more interested in dunking on his political enemies than cultivating a real art scene. /3
Zealotry and purity spiraling does not produce a show like Mr. Birchum. It’s fear—fear of breaking the Overton window and instead cowering inside accepted archetypes. This was a show created to be safe first and reach for the truth second. /4
And you see this in so much other Christian media. These movies are created to be safe as possible to the point of neutering actual Christianity. Its Hallmark. It’s winsome. It’s Boomers patting themselves on the back. /5
Could you imagine Matt Walsh making Passion of the Christ? Could you imagine him getting financially behind any media that depicts a man being flayed alive and crucified? I can’t. The problem with Christian media is not their over-zealotry. /6
The problem is that Right-leaning patronage networks operate in a narrow frame determined by the mainstream. With very few exceptions, Rightwingers will not stick their necks out. /7
And so what we need right now are Christians in power who are willing to take (prudent) risks. We need elites who are hard-liners, who are willing to put money towards their beliefs. If Matt Walsh was serious, he would throw his support toward current artists on the DR. /end
Some additional thoughts:
This is the most important takeaway:
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