On this special episode of the Craft Industry Alliance, we’re talking about Hobby Lobby with Michael Blanding, the author of the new book The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family’s Quest to Craft a Christian Nation.
Michael is a Boston-based investigative journalist and author of In Shakespeare’s Shadow and the New York Times bestseller, The Map Thief. A former senior writer at Boston Magazine and senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, his work has appeared in The New York Times, WIRED, Slate, Smithsonian, The Boston Globe, and other publications. Visit his website at www.michaelblanding.com.
We begin this conversation by talking about how Michael first became interested in the story of Hobby Lobby. Having previously written a book about stolen antiquities, he became curious about the Green family’s antiquities acquisitions. Next, Michael traces the origins and growth of Hobby Lobby as a retail business, beginning with its single store selling picture frames in Oklahoma.
The Green family didn’t cooperate with the book, and we discuss how Michael wrote a book about them without their cooperation. Michael took on some hefty tasks in writing this book, including explaining what the bible is and what it contains. The Green family believes in the inerrant truth of the bible. Michael tells us what exactly that means. It’s important to clarify that this book is not an attack on Christianity, and Michael explains to us what the book is, and isn’t.
Next, we talk about the basics of Christian nationalism and the history of televangelists in the US through the 80s and the 90s. Michael tells the story of a movie made by members of the Green family about a missionary trip that led to a murder. He also talks about Super Bowl ads they’ve funded about Jesus with the slogan, “He gets us.”
The Green family bought a lot of real estate, then donated it to various Christian organizations and received large tax write-offs. And that helped to build their wealth. In fact, David Green’s net worth is still $14 billion. Michael explains how these real estate deals work.
We also talk about the Museum of the Bible and what it aims to show. Michael explains how the Green family sourced the antiquities that are, and were, displayed there. He talks about some of the antiquities that were eventually returned to their country of origin, including a Gilgamesh tablet. Part of writing this book led Michael to take a trip to the Middle East and he recounts what he discovered there by talking with antiquities dealers who worked with the Green family.
Many people are aware that Hobby Lobby won a Supreme Court case which allowed the company to not fund birth control for their employee healthcare plan. We discuss this case, the precedent it set, and the impact its had on the way other private businesses in the US are allowed to behave. Michael explains the Green family’s stance on LGBTQ issues as well.
Finally, we talk about Hobby Lobby itself, including the products the store carries. Many people may not be aware that the Green family also owns one of the largest retailers of Christian books in the US, too. We talk about the importance of Hobby Lobby being a privately held company owned by a single family as opposed to the ownership structure of the other craft chains in the US. Finally, Michael shares what impact he hopes this book will have.
The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby is now available at bookstores nationwide.
