How Religion Corrupts Our Epistemic Vigilance

There's a reason why so many Americans express indifference about the future.

In 1925, an ad executive named Bruce Barton published The Man Nobody Knows. Barton described this man as a CEO who “picked up twelve men from the bottom ranks of business and forged them into an organization that conquered the world.” He became "the most popular dinner guest in Jerusalem."

Barton was talking about Jesus.

Barton didn't like the version of Jesus he learned about in Sunday School. He considered that guy weak and effeminate. He cared about all the wrong things like fighting poverty and injustice.

To rectify this error, Barton decided to recast the prophet as a "man's man." The book became an instant hit. Barton himself went on to publish several books and hundreds of articles. Then he went into politics. Barton served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1937 to 1941.

He ran for senate but lost.

Barton's enduring contribution to American culture lies in Corporate Jesus, and the birth of what some call "religious apologetics" for the worst aspects of capitalism. It didn't …