The Not the Bee website – the serious partner to the satirical “Babylon Bee” – conveys the news Joe Rogan’s 14m listeners have been given a serious Christian apologetic from Wes Huff, a speaker from Apologetics Canada and a PhD student at the evangelical Wycliffe College in Toronto.
And as the Not The Bee says, there are clips to prove it.
On the resurrection:
And on an early date for the New Testament
The whole thing goes for over two hours.
It is a tour de force certainly – and proof, if it were needed, that a fresh crop of apologetic speakers is entering the debate space.
And while this interview has not reached the 50 million Rogan got for his interview with candidate Trump pre-election, it ranks in the millions. Well, at least a couple.
But is it evidence that Christianity is becoming part of the conservative right-wing mainstream? Some comments I have seen suggest that it is.
That goes too far – the emerging populist right has many strands. It is more than likely that abortion will continue to increase under Trump – following the new statistical trend that emerged after the Dodd decision of the Supreme Court influenced by Trump’s first-term pick of justices.
So, the most important agenda item from the conservative alliance of evangelical and catholic Christians that propelled the populist president into the White House is unlikely to be realised. No rolling back of abortions at the national level.
Why not? Because a strong abortion ban is unpopular, and we are dealing with a populist right.
More than that, it is a complicated alliance with fissures. The Crypto tech bros billionaires have already won a fight with MAGA over visas for people they want to hire from overseas. And the foreign policy of Trump might be isolationist – or the hawks appointed to key positions might mean the trump ear will have some sort of foreign adventures. Panama Canal anyone?
It may be that the great lesson from Trump will be the danger of instrumentalising Christianity in the service of a political program. We have seen it from the left – an example is the Liberation Theology of past political movements particularly in South America. What we might be seeing now is a right-wing version of the same. But a “Christianity” without a crucified saviour at the centre is a poor substitute. As with the left, there are sincere Christian in the Trumpian movements, and some people seeking to use Christianity to bolster their political project.
But back to our cultural moment.
“Bear Grylls: ‘I believe Russell Brand’s embrace of Christianity to be genuine’” is a headline in the telegraph London.
“In May of this year he joined Russell Brand and another man in what has been labelled an ‘immersive baptism ceremony’”’. ‘“’Me, Bear Grylls, the river Thames and, of course, the Holy Spirit,’”’ is how Brand described it when posted a picture on Instagram.
“There was an immediate backlash because it took place after Brand had been publicly accused of sexually assaulting a number of women, charges he denies. The Director of Public Prosecutions is currently considering whether to press charges on the basis of evidence collected by the police.
“’First of all,’ Grylls says, his forehead even more furrowed than usual, ‘I didn’t baptise. I never judge and he was a friend through [appearing on] Running Wild, and he’s had a real journey in his life. You know what, whoever it is, you can’t only stand beside people who have had perfect journeys. It was for him a real moment of humility and repentance and genuine heart-felt finding of quite a faith in his life.’”’
“Without leaving a pause, he continues straight on to address the criticism that has been made of him around this. “People say to me, ‘What about the victims?’, if they’re victims. And I go, ‘Of course I stand beside everybody. We are called to love everybody and not to judge anyone’.”
“So, he believes Brand’s embrace of Christianity to be genuine? ‘Yes.’”
Brand stands beside Dutch writer and ex-politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali in a list of unlikely converts. But perhaps one could say we are all unlikely converts. Let us pray for many more.
Are there more unusual converts than usual? It is hard to say. God knows. Huff on The Joe Rogan Experience pod is certainly evidence that in the current media shakeup – of old forms of media shrinking and new ones emerging there is room for Christian ideas. That is undoubtedly good.
But perhaps hold off on prophecies of a wave of conversions.