Many Americans tune out politics over the holidays, perhaps to promote family peace. Now a new year brings fresh possibilities and challenges, including in Washington. Taking time to look back, one can more clearly see the path ahead.

Author of over 20 books, Stephen Mansfield attempts to fairly tackle the 2016 election and new administration in his latest book. Titled Choosing Donald Trump: God, Anger, Hope and Why Christian Conservatives Supported Him, it relies on sources right, left and in-between to present a factual portrait with all its color and flaws.

He commented on President Trump’s faith advisors in an earlier story. “To engage in prophetic distance is to evaluate rather than fully sign on to some agenda,” he said. “In Donald Trump’s case, he actually respects people who challenge him if he believes they are not intending him any harm.”

Now Mansfield examines what’s on the White House agenda for 2018, why the faith advisors matter, and how he urges believers to pray for President Trump.

The Stream: As we enter 2018, what issues should people be watching how the Trump Administration handles?

Stephen Mansfield: North Korea is coming front and center, and negotiating with that regime is going to be essential to American security. If we continue to have weather patterns like we’ve had, we need President Trump to handle future natural disasters far better than the way he handled Puerto Rico.

His leadership will also be severely tested in economic matters. Despite his success in getting the recent tax bill passed, he is going to have to counter criticisms from Democrats. He will need to articulate well how to reduce budget deficits and deal skillfully with the inevitable challenges of welfare reform.

His presidency may, in the long term, be measured in large part by how he handles immigration and the all-important matter of DACA. This will be closely related to the tone he sets in race relations, an arena in which he has been largely divisive thus far.

All of these challenges loom just ahead and will indicate what kind of president he is and is becoming.

The Stream: Your book focuses on President Trump’s faith journey, including the advisors around him. Controversial pastor Paula White-Cain plays a key role in the Faith Leaders Initiative. How did their relationship develop?

Mansfield: Donald Trump saw her on TV about 15 years ago. One thing he was drawn to was the fact that she is flawed. He thought himself flawed: three marriages, a lot of bad press, and what have you. He related to her because she was a spiritual leader who had some brokenness in her life. He felt drawn to that.

But her real contribution was the listening sessions during the 2016 campaign. She brought together prominent clergy throughout the country to meet with Donald Trump. That’s pretty much where he began to learn about religious liberty issues, the Johnson Amendment, the struggles of inner city churches and things like that.

One of the clear signs she has respect across religious lines is the wide breadth of people she was able to bring together for those listening sessions. She had rabbis, mullahs, Roman Catholic bishops, mainline Protestants, television preachers — she was able to reach to a lot of people. That says something about who she is.

When those issues came up on the campaign, this wasn’t just coded language. It was something he cared about. When religious conservatives heard him talking about that, they began to believe he could be their champion.

The Stream: Paula White practices a form of charismatic Christianity, believing in prophecy and healing. How does this play into the criticisms against her?

Mansfield: When we speak of evangelicals, we don’t often parse out the fact that there are divisions amongst them. If you are a Pentecostal-charismatic, you are automatically held in some derision even by other Christians.

There’s more tolerance today than there has been in times past, and some lines have blurred. But there’s no question that Billy Graham back in the 60’s and 70’s was more palatable than Oral Roberts. Why? Because Roberts was a healer, believed in prophecy and was charismatic-Pentecostal.

A conservative evangelical might see in a charismatic-Pentecostal leader an ally. They might see them as someone they might want to get involved in causes they care about. But they won’t feel as easily aligned with them when it comes to core matters of Christian doctrine. People are quicker to criticism when that fault line is involved.

In research for this book, I’ve listened to many Paula White messages. To the extent that she reflects the prosperity gospel, I think that is an extreme. There is an extreme that some folks who are prominent in the Christian world need to come back from. American materialism has crept into their message.

But there’s a mystery to people like Paula White and some others who are charismatic-Pentecostals on the national stage. You sometimes think you’re hearing from two different people.

I can turn on Joel Osteen one moment and hear a message like, Every day in every way, you can be better and better. The focus is on walking in greater material blessings. Then the very next sermon could be about humbling yourself, surrendering to the Cross and giving to the poor.

Paula White is definitely a mixture. But she does preach the core truths of Christianity. It depends on which sermon you hear and what day it is. Clearly her style, her looks and her Pentecostal-charismatic edge make her offensive to some folks. She is orthodox with an edge, and I certainly understand why some people criticize her.

The Stream: From your standpoint, what accomplishments thus far reflect evangelicals’ influence at the White House?

Mansfield: A lot of it is tone and access, quite frankly. The appointment of Justice Neil Gorsuch is the main actual firm achievement. Other than that, what draws evangelicals is the tone of many of Donald Trump’s statements. They like statements like, We’re going to be able to say Merry Christmas again.

They like that he says he is going to abolish the Johnson Amendment. I’m not sure he actually has the ability to do that unilaterally; he can certainly build a coalition in Congress to do it. I don’t think there have been as many solid accomplishments as President Trump would like, or certainly as some evangelicals would like.

The Stream: Some say that people need to have patience regarding the influence and impact of faith advisors. How would you respond?

Mansfield: If you care about what they’re doing and you believe in the value of having spiritual leaders around a president — and I do — you have to realize this is not a man who is easily pastored. Donald Trump is not a man who is going to be easily molded.

If someone is saying, Hey, they can’t seem to get control of his Twitter finger, he’s calling NFL players SOBs. How much good can these advisors be doing? They’re missing the point. I believe these spiritual advisors are doing the best they can do.

It’s commendable and they’re having an effect. No, they’re not able to change the course of a man who’s had a public life for 50 years. I still think it’s valuable that they are there doing what they’re doing.

The Stream: When you speak to believers, how do you urge them to pray for the President and leaders in government?

Mansfield: They need to constantly pray for leaders to have wise counselors around them. Living in D.C. as we both do, we know that what comes out of the White House or a Senator’s office has to do with the advisors around them. I always pray they have wise and godly advisors around them. I always pray that their own hearts are drawn to God.

I always pray that they are given victory over the enemies of their souls. By that, I mean temptations to misbehave sexually — especially in our current culture. But also temptations to mishandle money or let anger, rage and bitterness dominate them. Those war against our souls. I pray that God will guide them and lead them into league with other nobly intended people to accomplish good things.

 

Choosing Donald Trump is available online and wherever books are sold. The Stream previously published part one of this interview and an excerpt from the book.