Dissenting from Donald Trump While Listening to "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"

by Rodney Wallace Kennedy

Overview

Democracy now exists in a state of precarity. The anti-democratic swing in America's mood has been orchestrated by President Donald Trump. He has used demagoguery, a false populism, fear, and a spirit of resentment and revenge to enthrall the masses. His excessive rhetoric has divided and angered the nation. The essays in this book dissent from Trump - his rhetoric, his actions, his lies, his deceptions, and his lack of respect for the rule of law. All the negative descriptions of President Trump can be summarized in one theological term: Evil. His actions are those of a person who is the incarnation of evil. My protests have now continued for more than nine years. Democracy can't survive without dissent. This is a book of dissent.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798385251865
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	08/21/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	204
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Rodney Wallace Kennedy is rhetorical scholar, ABC USA pastor, PhD in rhetoric, and author of twelve books. The two books about President Trump previously published by Cascade are The Immaculate Mistake: How Evangelicals Gave Birth to Donald Trump and Good and Evil in the Garden of Democracy. In addition, Kennedy has published over 125 articles on Trump, MAGA, evangelicals, and politics for Baptist News Global, Word&Way, and www.rightingamerica.net.

Rodney Wallace Kennedy is a writer and American Baptist Churches USA pastor. He is the author of The Immaculate Mistake: How Evangelicals Gave Birth to Donald Trump and Good and Evil in the Garden of Democracy.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Kennedy’s shrewd analysis of Trump’s political discourse reveals everything that is wrong with much of politics and religion in America: the compromises, lies, and hypocrisies many Americans keep accepting, at Trump’s command, to rationalize what Kennedy reveals as Trump’s autocratic behavior. Dissenting from Donald Trump is a must-read for all those concerned about the degradation of American democracy.”

—Kenneth S. Zagacki, Professor, Department of Communication, North Carolina State University



“This book is a critical study of elements of the life and presidencies of Donald J. Trump, written with insight and excellent documentation. But it is much more than that. It is also about us as Americans, who we are, what we believe, and how we respond as democracy vanishes before our very eyes. (Oh yes, and what Christianity has to do with any of this.)”

—Bill J. Leonard, Professor of Divinity Emeritus, Wake Forest University School of Divinity



“Rodney Kennedy’s insights into the ways that rhetoric shapes our political reality helpfully illuminate why many Americans have betrayed their core values to support Trumpian authoritarianism. If we are to save our democracy from rising Christian nationalism, understanding how to effectively sustain dissent will be key. It’s clear that Kennedy not only believes truth is still worth fighting for, but he also offers several rich examples of how to recapture its power.”

—Jeremy Fuzy, Digital Editor, Word&Way

Editorial Reviews

Kennedy’s shrewd analysis of Trump’s political discourse reveals everything that is wrong with much of politics and religion in America: the compromises, lies, and hypocrisies many Americans keep accepting, at Trump’s command, to rationalize what Kennedy reveals as Trump’s autocratic behavior. Dissenting from Donald Trump is a must-read for all those concerned about the degradation of American democracy.”

—Kenneth S. Zagacki, Professor, Department of Communication, North Carolina State University



“This book is a critical study of elements of the life and presidencies of Donald J. Trump, written with insight and excellent documentation. But it is much more than that. It is also about us as Americans, who we are, what we believe, and how we respond as democracy vanishes before our very eyes. (Oh yes, and what Christianity has to do with any of this.)”

—Bill J. Leonard, Professor of Divinity Emeritus, Wake Forest University School of Divinity



“Rodney Kennedy’s insights into the ways that rhetoric shapes our political reality helpfully illuminate why many Americans have betrayed their core values to support Trumpian authoritarianism. If we are to save our democracy from rising Christian nationalism, understanding how to effectively sustain dissent will be key. It’s clear that Kennedy not only believes truth is still worth fighting for, but he also offers several rich examples of how to recapture its power.”

—Jeremy Fuzy, Digital Editor, Word&Way

From the Publisher