Though American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us was written ten years ago, it’s still very topical. Its observations about the secularization and polarization of American society are relevant and insightful. Arguably more so than in 2010, when someone like Barack Obama was still making overtures to religious conservatives in symbolic terms from the secular Left.

I was thinking about this when trying to figure out Josh Hawley, the Senator from Missouri attempting to fashion a more high-toned populism. One of his projects is a defense of Middle America against cosmopolitan elites. Some found this rather strange, as Hawley himself is a graduate of Stanford and Yale. In simple assessments of socioeconomic status, Hawley clearly is an elite. And, he may not identify as cosmopolitan, but before returning to Middle America he received prestigious degrees in California and New England. He is a man of the world, even if he chooses to retire from it.

A simple explanation appealing to rationality is that Hawley is a politician who represents Missouri, so a stance of populism is what is most effective in getting him reelected. In other words, Hawley is fulfilling consumer demand.

But I have a different explanation: despite his education and professional accomplishments, Hawley is an evangelical Protestant. Raised Methodist, he now attends a Presbyterian church. His church is a member of the small Evangelical Presbyterian Church, which seems to be moderately conservative. Senator Hawley clearly has many passions, from his profession to physical fitness, but everything I’ve read indicates he has a deep and sincere commitment to his religious identity. He’s not pandering. He is one of the people whom he thinks secular elite America looks down upon.

Now consider an alternative universe where Hawley loses his faith in religion or becomes a nominal liberal Christian of some sort during his schooling. I strongly suspect that in his social and cultural values Hawley would be no different than most graduates of Yale Law School at this point. Not only that, but I also believe Hawley would interact far less with people who did not have a similar elite background than he does today. My point is that those people who are criticizing Hawley for being a hypocrite are projecting their plausible life choices and path if they had gone to Yale Law School.  As it is, Hawley is part of a religious community where there are likely many members who are much more humble in background and station in life.

Hawley’s evangelical Protestantism binds him to Middle America in a visceral and palpable manner that is hard for secular people to grasp. Though I am irreligious, I do have friends who are religious, but they are invariably well educated and well off. My connection with them is around various affinities common to college-educated middle-class people. I don’t have a connection to religious working-class people. In contrast, professionals who go to churches with a demographic profile that is more downscale will always have some concrete social interactions with people across the class divide. And that, to me, explains why they can play the Tribune of the Plebs,  even if they retire to their country villas in the evening…