Trump and the Politics of Prayer: Inside the Spiritual World of His Faith Advisory Team

This “Authors Meet Their Critics” panel brings together scholars of religion, theology, and politics to discuss Trump and the Politics of Prayer: Inside the Spiritual World of His Faith Advisory Team. Focusing on the concluding chapter, “The Politics of Prophecy and Prayer: The Mid-2020s and Beyond,” the session asks what the Faith Advisory Team’s prayer calls around January 6, 2021, reveal about trajectories of American public life. Panelists will examine four dynamics with ongoing implications: lived political theology enacted through prophecy, intercession, decrees, and warfare prayer; the remaking of prophetic authority from accountable critique to insider validation; the intertwining of faith and fear that can normalize antidemocratic shortcuts; and the transnational export of charismatic nationalism, including influence in Brazil. The authors will respond to critiques and invite discussion on how scholars and civic leaders can interpret, teach, and engage these movements as they evolve today.