Jesusland: Stories from the Upside Down World of Christian Pop Culture

The convergence of Christianity, pop culture, and conservative politics gets a comprehensive, at times penetrating overview in this debut study from journalist Kidd. The book has three main threads: Kidd’s own frustration with Christianity, especially its conservative branch; an exploration of Christian pop culture in the early 2000s and how several of its representatives have since turned politically rightward; and observations on how Christian pop culture has affected Canadian politics, especially Stephen Harper’s time as prime minister (from 2006 to 2015) and the trucker convoy protests of 2022-23. The passages on Kidd’s own experiences neatly describe her ideological evolution and personal coming of age, which included enrollment in a Christian school. When the book turns more general it loses some steam, retreading well-worn territory without much new to add to the discourse over the postapocalyptic Left Behind books or purity ring culture. The passages where Kidd addresses Canada specifically are the most intriguing and have the most depth. They include Kidd’s savvy comparison of British Columbia’s Trinity Western University to Virginia’s Patrick Henry College—both have nurtured the careers of conservative political staffers—and her discussion of Winnipeg’s Springs Church and its resistance to Covid-19 containment efforts. It’s a valuable contribution to the literature on conservative Christianity’s growing mainstream influence. (Aug.)