The Sunday Interview: The Missionary Myth: How Evangelicalism Exported Christian Nationalism

In this Sunday Interview, Brad Onishi sits down with historian and former CIA Africa analyst Holly Berkley Fletcher, author of The Missionary Kids: Unmasking the Myths of White Evangelicalism. Drawing on her experience growing up as a Southern Baptist missionary kid in Kenya, Fletcher explores how the evangelical missionary movement became intertwined with American exceptionalism, racial hierarchy, patriarchy, and Christian nationalism. Together, they examine why missionary culture often functions as a form of spiritual bypassing—allowing white evangelicals to see themselves as heroes abroad while avoiding difficult conversations about racism, power, and injustice at home.

The conversation also explores the hidden costs of missionary life, including abuse, isolation, authoritarianism, and the impossible expectations placed on missionary families. Fletcher explains how the same dynamics that have fueled the Southern Baptist abuse crisis and evangelical support for Donald Trump emerge from a culture rooted in fear, certainty, and hierarchy. It's a wide-ranging discussion about faith, identity, and the future of American evangelicalism—and why understanding the missionary movement helps explain some of the most pressing religious and political conflicts in the United States today.

The Missionary Kids: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889832034/The-Missionary-Kids

If you value independent analysis at the intersection of religion and politics, subscribe to the Axis Mundi Network on Substack at ⁠https://axismundinetwork.substack.com⁠ for daily briefings, exclusive podcasts, and live events. You can also support our work by becoming a member or making a tax-deductible donation through the Institute for Religion, Media, and Civic Engagement (IRMCE) at ⁠https://www.irmce.org⁠.

Subscribe to Axis Mundi Media: ⁠⁠⁠https://axismundinetwork.substack.com⁠⁠⁠ Support our work: ⁠⁠⁠https://axismundinetwork.substack.com⁠⁠⁠... Make a tax-deductible donation: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.irmce.org/donate⁠⁠⁠

Listen to the Axis Daily Brief: Axis Daily Brief on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...⁠⁠⁠ Axis Daily Brief on Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/033zp4M...⁠⁠⁠ Axis Daily Brief RSS Feed: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast...⁠⁠⁠ Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices