Charlie Kirk embodied characteristics lauded by people I remember from my fundamentalist, Christian upbringing. Confident “believer” who knew the absolute “truth,” a willingness to proselytize (or better known in fundamentalist circles as spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ), and a pugnacious personality essential to fight Satan and his minions in this “ungodly” world.
In a New York Times article titled “We Need to Think Straight about God and Politics” (9/25/25), David Brooks writes: “As people eulogized Kirk, it was rarely clear if they were talking about the man who was trying to evangelize for Jesus or the one trying to elect Republicans.” A spokesperson at Turning Point USA said, “He [Kirk] confronted evil and proclaimed the truth and called us to repent and be saved.” Brooks asks, “Is that what Kirk was doing when arguing with college kids about tariffs?”
I want to focus here on some of the brilliantly choreographed, yet deceptively cruel imagery present at Kirk’s memorial service, showing how the MAGA movement uses a religious group’s theology to foment hatred—with the goal of gaining/retaining political power.
Most of us have probably seen this photograph of Trump embracing Kirk’s widow, Erika.
This picture reflects a powerful man embracing (comforting?) a woman. What better way to show MAGA’s plan of “putting women back in their place” through the enforcement of gender roles? Unfortunately, I know women today who long for this kind of supposed safety in the arms of a “strong” man. Many women have been battered and bruised in relationships with fathers, brothers, uncles, boyfriends, and husbands. MAGA promises women “safety” as long as they agree to conditions such as bearing children, submitting to their husbands, and postponing their careers until after their children are raised. Of course, that takes women out of the way for men to do what men are “supposed” to do—protect, provide, and lead.
For most (all?) of human history, women have been strong, capable protectors, providers, and leaders. This image shows a needy woman “at peace” under a man’s protection—a great visual to convey what MAGA perceives as sacrosanct—keeping men in control. (Would we have the same visceral response if the sexes were reversed?)
A reader, in a letter to The New York Times (9/22/25), under the rubric of “Kirk’s Memorial Blends Politics and Evangelism,” quotes Erika Kirk: “I forgive him [her husband’s assassin] because it is what Christ did….The answer to hate is not hate.” Then Trump “contradicted her sentiment,” saying, “I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them…I am sorry, Erika.”
Again, the photo is effective imagery. Poor, weak, broken widow reflecting “softness,” not just filling an appropriate gender role, but expressing the soft, vulnerability of Jesus who went meekly “as a lamb unto the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7) to die for the sins of mankind, saying, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). But, wait! Very nice, Erika, but here I (Trump) am going to show you the anger and vengeance that reflects an aspect of God, the Father. “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord” (Deuteronomy 32:35). Off he spews—his volatile hatred loud and palpable!
This short video shows Trump’s wrath—something that in fundamentalist, Christian circles—belongs to God. Here, Trump is God’s prophet—someone who speaks on behalf of someone else. In this case, God.
The juxtaposition of Erika Kirk’s beatific expression and Trump’s spewing of hatred, to the brain steeped in Protestant, fundamentalist theology enables many (including those unconsciously soaked in Protestant conservative theology by virtue of living in the USA), feel as though everything fits nicely together. The compassion and meekness of Jesus (who is considered God) inextricably joined with the anger and vengeance of God the Father (considered the first person of the Trinity). The Holy Spirit (third person of the Trinity), presumably, prompts fundamentalist Christians to do God’s bidding.
The Kirk memorial service bounced back and forth between prayer and political point scoring, between people offering to love their enemies and President Trump proudly and righteously hating them, between declarations that humans are made in the image of God and Stephen Miller (White House Deputy Chief of Staff) declaring that “all of you [presumably everybody not in Miller’s ideological in-group] are nothing.”
Miller’s rant fits in well with fundamentalist, Christian doctrine, as he aligns himself with a reified symbol of what many call God. He speaks from an elevated position, saying—We stand for good. You are nothing. You are wickedness. You are jealousy. You are envy. You are hatred. You build nothing. We create. We build. We lift up humanity.
In fundamentalist Christianity, humanity is believed to be “totally depraved”—not capable of doing anything good. “…we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags… (Isaiah 64:6). The video shows Miller declaring those “truths.” Humanity is incapable of anything good, but gets a pass if they are “washed in the blood of Jesus.” Miller, in this video, speaks authoritatively much like so many words attributed to God by authors of the Bible.
Miller assures us that Charlie Kirk is now immortal and “millions will carry on his legacy.” To a fundamentalist Christian, this easily translates into the story of Jesus’ crucifixion. After Jesus’ death, his disciples kept his work alive and now look! The largest religious group in the world is Christian.
In the midst of this country’s chaos and blatant injustice, I am reminded of Archibald MacLeish’s (1892-1982) play (published 1958) titled J.B.—a modern rendition of the biblical story of Job. After suffering a series of calamitous events, J.B.’s wife says to him: “You wanted justice, didn’t you? There isn’t any…there is only love. Blow on the coal of the heart. The candles in churches are out. The lights have gone out in the sky. Blow on the coal of the heart. And we’ll see by and by….”
Love, though, extracts a bloody and deadly price. Are we willing to pay?
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I simply cannot look at an image of trump or read anything about his insanity and the frightening charge of darkness (some would say evil) that appears to be taking over this country…. if I do I just want to give up –
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i hear you, Sara. My intention in writing this piece is to demonstrate how all of us live our lives by absorbing narrative or story. Many times we don’t see or understand our cultural myths as the powerful tools they are to shape us both individually and collectively. I think digging into the meaning of what so often is taken for granted is not only a good way to resist, but also serves to teach and hopefully enlighten.
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Yes, Esther I am aware of your intention – “demonstrate how all of us live our lives by absorbing narrative or story. Many times we don’t see or understand our cultural myths as the powerful tools they are to shape us both individually and collectively”. So important…
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Thanks for parsing the politics and the theology. Job’s question troubles me daily. No justice only love is haunting and your question is one that needs asking even/especially because it’s hard to answer.
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Thank you, Elizabeth, for your succinct and “spot on” reply. I fear darker times are coming our way–and soon! I hope my heart still has a few combustible coals left. It’s so very hard to watch the politics (in a broad sense) around us. As is often the case, I feel like the canary in the mine.
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