This is how court evangelical Robert Jeffress introduced Sean Hannity today at First Baptist Church in Dallas:
A few thoughts:
- Why is Jeffress turning his sanctuary on a Sunday morning over to a Fox News political pundit? Is this is what is supposed to happen on a Sunday morning in a Christian church?
- What does it say about First Baptist Church and American evangelicalism generally that Sean Hannity “needs no introduction?” I wonder if Tertullian, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Bunyan, Whitefield, Edwards, Wesley, Finney, Moody, Graham, or others would need an introduction in First Baptist?
- Jeffress introduces Hannity as “Rachel Maddow’s worst nightmare.” What does this say about the way First Baptist-Dallas has been co-opted by Fox News-style GOP politics?
- Hannity’s understanding of Christian faith, according to Rod Dreher, is little more than moral therapeutic deism. But hey–at least he has the right politics!
- Hannity, a former Catholic seminarian, thinks that the Catholic Church is wrong about the origins of the Christian church. (He offers up the classic Protestant interpretation of Matthew 16:18) Jeffress, who once said that Satan founded the Roman Catholic Church and the Catholic religion is Babylonian mystery religion, seems pleased as punch with Hannity’s comment.
- Hannity says he doesn’t like liberals. This leads to loud cheers among the heavily-politicized congregation. Jeffress responds “It’s Hannity country right here.”
- Since Hannity came to First Baptist Church-Dallas to promote his new movie, I am guessing he did not charge his usual speaking fee.
