U.S. evangelicals had formed an odd alliance of their own with leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church. American evangelicals are led to make common cause with Russian Orthodoxy - and with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin - because of a deep and shared suspicion of postmodern Western cultural progress and diversity.
Sexual and gender politics have generated the most culture war heat for these 2 groups, but “traditional values” have also included nationalistic tropes like patriotism, respect for the military, and the celebration of historic religious national identities (which are idolatrous), as in “Christian America” or “Holy Russia.”
The language of "traditional values" is a slippery slope. While there may be much that Christians through the centuries have been able to agree upon, issues of sexuality, gender, and war require ongoing theological reflection and clarification.
Moreover, appeals to so-called "traditional values" tend in practice to marginalize non-Orthodox religious groups in Russia and both non-believers and non-evangelical believers in the U.S.
Both U.S. evangelicals and Russian Orthodox hierarchs could do much more to resist the unjust policies and totalitarian tendencies of their respective presidents and to work to move their nations - and churches - toward self-examination, humility, and repentance.
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