About this episode

The episode features a discussion with historian Holly Berkley Fletcher about the intersection of evangelicalism and American nationalism, exploring the implications of missionary culture.

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…

People in this episode

Host: Brad Onishi

Guest: Holly Berkley Fletcher

Topics covered

• evangelicalism
• Christian nationalism
• missionary culture
• racism
• power dynamics
• abuse
• American exceptionalism

Keywords

• evangelicalism
• Christian nationalism
• missionary
• racism
• Southern Baptist
• abuse
• American exceptionalism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Southern Baptist, Christian nationalism, Donald Trump

Books & works: The Missionary Kids: Unmasking the Myths of White Evangelicalism

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