May 3, 2021

"I'm a Fascist"

Orthodoxy, Putin Veneration, and Fascism in Rural Appalachia

Brad speaks with Dr. Sarah Riccardi-Swartz, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Recovering Truth Project (Arizona State University) about her recent article, "The Hybridity of Rural Fascism." She discusses the Evangelical converts to Orthodoxy in rural Appalachia, at least one of which self-identifies as a fascist. She explains how the group sees Trump as too conservative, and instead looks to Putin as the model leader for this--and any--country. As her and Brad explore, the community represents the extreme end of Christian patriarchy, authoritarianism, and trad-values. While it would be easy to label it as a fringe movement, Dr. Riccardi-Swartz reminds us just how prevalent these values are in contemporary White Christian America.

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