SouthernWorldwide.com – Democrat candidate Sarah Trone Garriott, a minister and state legislator vying for a highly competitive House seat, has been linked to a “resistance preaching” guide. This guide reportedly encouraged faith leaders to use their pulpits to oppose President Donald Trump and his supporters.
Trone Garriott contributed a chapter to the 2018 collection titled “Preaching as Resistance: Voices of Hope, Justice, and Solidarity.” This book was published in the wake of Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory, which the book characterized as bringing the nation “so closely to fascism.”
Phil Snider, who identifies as a “White male cishet pastor,” wrote in the book’s introduction that many pastors felt compelled to engage in acts of resistance. This sentiment was a direct response to Trump’s presidency.
Snider argued that these “pastors of the resistance” were actively working against a coalition led by Trump. He described this coalition as being founded on principles of “White supremacy,” “exploitation,” “greed,” and “heteropatriarchy.”
Trone Garriott, who was ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America in 2008, was part of this group of authors contributing to the collection.
Her contribution, titled “The Gospel of Resistance,” is noted as the first sermon she delivered following the 2016 election. This involvement has not been previously reported.
Trone Garriott’s participation in this collection comes at a time when she is facing increased scrutiny from Republicans. This scrutiny is focused on her past statements concerning religion and cultural issues. The Republican Party considers the Iowa House battleground, currently held by Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, and encompassing the state capital of Des Moines, to be crucial for maintaining their narrow majority.
During a previous address, Trone Garriott voiced criticism of private schools and parental rights in education. She also highlighted her efforts to seek out prayers in the state legislature that did not originate from a “White American Christian variety.”
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has strongly condemned Trone Garriott’s involvement in the “resistance” preaching collection.
The sermon collection itself is described as “provocative” by its publisher. It features 30 sermons with titles such as “Transgressing the Gender Binary,” “Encountering Pharaoh — and Climate Change,” and “Wake Up and Stay Woke!”
In addition to criticizing Trump, the sermons also address issues such as immigration enforcement, deportation policies, transphobia, and what one author refers to as “the worship of military-grade weaponry among the populace.”
In a sermon titled “When to Break the Law,” a minister reportedly encourages sanctuary cities to defy federal government directives and shelter undocumented immigrants to prevent their deportation. Another sermon, “Take a Knee,” critiques the “militarized border.” The sermon “Overcome Evil with Good” draws a connection between police departments and White supremacy.
Furthermore, in “Beloved Resistance,” the president is described as an “unrepentant sexual predator.”
Trone Garriott’s own sermon serves as the concluding piece in the collection. While it is less overtly political than some of the other contributions, it has been identified as the first sermon she delivered after Trump’s election.
In her sermon, Trone Garriott appears to offer encouragement to listeners who were feeling disheartened by recent events, without explicitly referencing Trump’s election victory. She discusses historical periods when Christians experienced a sense of detachment and refers to Matthew 24:36–44. This biblical passage discusses Christ’s return and advises believers to remain vigilant.
“For those who are honestly praying for the kingdoms of this world to be destroyed and Christ’s kingdom to come … for those who are yearning to go with Christ wherever that may lead … for those hoping for new life … this is the good news,” she wrote in her contribution.
