In a series of ruminations, Edward G. Simmons brings a lifetime’s experiences, along with biblical and historical insights, to the ethical problems faced by Christians living under the impact of President Trump.

Teaching values and respect for truth to college students and Christians of all varieties, he sometimes lectures on the Bible and sometimes writes sermons full of conviction. His combination of history, science, and biblical information is stimulating, encouraging, and often provocative for young and mature readers.

— These Christian values support the growing recognition of the Beloved Community as a combination of Jesus’s teachings with modern emphasis on justice through inclusion and environmental responsibility.
— The ethical message is founded on Old and New Testament principles updated and backed by modern historical and scientific knowledge.
— Ministers and students will discover insights into Genesis, Exodus, Job, the Gospels, and Pauline epistles supporting principles of the Beloved Community.
— Practical application of biblical principles will be demonstrated in response to the many spiritual dangers of Trumpism and its evangelical support.

 

 
Review
“In a searing collection of essays from the heart of Progressive Christianity to the soul of the American people, Edward Simmons proclaims the ethics at the center of the biblical traditions and prophesies what happens when that message goes unheeded.” –Amy-Jill Levine, Hartford Seminary

“In this book, the author ruminates on his personal journey from the evangelical Southern Baptist tradition toward a Progressive Christianity that emphasizes acts over faith, that embraces diversity of race, sexual orientation, and personal belief, and that emboldens its followers to align their faith with the facts of science. Values, Truth, and Spiritual Danger is a must-read for anyone struggling to reconcile religion with the realities of the twenty-first century.” –David Ludden, Georgia Gwinnett College

“Values, Truth and Spiritual Danger offers a winsome presentation of progressive Christian views through a wide-ranging and ambitious collection of essays written between 2015 and early 2021. Simmons is especially strong in his clear repudiation of Donald Trump and evangelical Trumpism.” –David P. Gushee, Mercer University
 
Edward G. Simmons is a Vanderbilt Ph.D. who teaches history at Georgia Gwinnett College. He is a Bible scholar, Unitarian Christian, and Sunday School teacher in a Presbyterian Church. He is the author of Talking Back to the Bible and two chapters in The Spiritual Danger of Donald Trump: 30 Christian Evangelicals on Justice, Truth, and Moral Integrity edited by Ronald J. Sider.