“THE ART OF THE DEAL” BY TRUMP: vs “the way of the cross” by Christ
In November 1987, Donald Trump published his book: “THE ART OF THE DEAL”
The book became an immediate best-seller and reached #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list and stayed there 13 weeks. It remained on the NYT list for a total of 48 weeks and became one of the most commercially successful business books of the late 1980s.
Exact lifetime sales figures are not publicly disclosed, but the book is widely described as a major bestseller with well over a million copies sold. The book helped make Trump a household name in the late 1980s. He has repeatedly called it one of his proudest accomplishments and his second-favourite book after the Bible.
The book also regained attention during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and his 11‑step formula for success carries clear echoes in his current approach to Iran, though the context is far more volatile than business negotiation.
Here’s how the behaviour of Donald Trump aligns with some of the book’s core principles:
-
“USE LEVERAGE.”
In The Art of the Deal, Trump writes that leverage is everything — you must convince the other side you have something they fear losing. In the Iran talks, he applies this through military and economic pressure: sanctions, threats of bombing, and public ultimatums. These are meant to create psychological leverage, forcing Iran to act under duress.
The Way of the Cross: Jesus never used leverage — He used love. He refused to manipulate, coerce, or pressure.
The Cross is God’s declaration that true power is self‑giving, not fear‑giving. Christ wins hearts not by force, but by sacrifice.
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.” (Zechariah 4:6)
-
“FIGHT BACK HARD.”
The Art of the Deal celebrates confrontation — Trump says he never lets an opponent “get away with anything.” His rhetoric toward Iran mirrors that: he frames resistance as weakness and escalation as strength. The idea is to dominate the narrative, not to share it.
The Way of the Cross: Jesus teaches the opposite: “Do not repay evil with evil.” “Turn the other cheek.” “Bless those who curse you.”
The Cross reveals a strength that refuses retaliation. Christ conquers not by striking back, but by absorbing violence and breaking its cycle.
-
“CONTROL THE STORY.”
In The Art of the Deal, Trump often stresses the importance of media optics — shaping perception is part of the deal. His public threats and dramatic statements serve that purpose: they keep him at the centre of the story, projecting toughness to domestic audiences while unsettling foreign ones. Iran’s Foreign Ministry recognised this dynamic when it said his threats were “for domestic audiences.”
The Way of the Cross: Jesus emptied Himself of reputation. He refused to perform for crowds or manipulate public opinion. The Cross is the story God tells — a story where truth stands without spin, and where the One who could have commanded angels chose silence instead.
“He did not open His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7)
-
“KEEP THEM GUESSING.”
In The Art of the Deal, Trump describes unpredictability as a tactic — never let the other side know your next move. His alternating tone of aggression and openness (“We’ll bomb them” vs. “We want peace”) fits that pattern. It’s meant to keep Iran uncertain and reactive.
The Way of the Cross: Jesus is utterly consistent: His yes is yes, His no is no. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Cross is not a tactic — it is truth. God does not destabilise to gain advantage; He reveals Himself so we may walk in the light.
-
“AIM FOR THE WIN, NOT THE RELATIONSHIP.”
In The Art of the Deal, Trump prioritises victory over harmony. In diplomacy, that translates into transactional peace — short‑term deals that serve U.S. interests rather than long‑term reconciliation. That’s why his approach feels more like bargaining than bridge‑building.
The Way of the Cross: Jesus aims not for victory over others, but reconciliation with others. The Cross restores relationship at the cost of His own life. Christ does not negotiate for advantage; He gives Himself to make enemies into family.
“While we were still enemies, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:10)
FROM A CHRISTIAN‑ETHICAL LENS
Donald Trump’s style of negotiation contrasts sharply with biblical peacemaking. Scripture calls for truth and reconciliation, not manipulation or intimidation: “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.” (Matthew 5:37)
Trump’s tactics may reflect his book’s principles, but they stand in tension with Christ’s model of peace — which values humility over leverage, and relationship over victory.
BUT, ISN’T THIS NAÏVE WHEN DEALING WITH SUPERPOWERS LIKE AMERICA AND IRAN?
The Way of the Cross is naïve when measured by the logic of superpowers — but it is not naïve when measured by the logic of God.
If measured by geopolitical standards, yes — it might look naïve. Superpowers like Iran (regional) and the United States (global) operate through deterrence, leverage, military pressure, and strategic ambiguity. In that world, humility looks like weakness, forgiveness looks like surrender, and non‑retaliation looks like an invitation to be crushed. From a purely political perspective, The Way of the Cross is not a strategy — it is a scandal.
Paul said this plainly: “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.” (1 Cor. 1:18)
To a superpower, the Cross is not a tactic. It is nonsense.
But the Way of the Cross was never meant to compete with superpower logic. The Cross does not try to out‑strategise empires. It exposes them. It reveals the limits of coercion, the emptiness of domination, the fragility of violence and the bankruptcy of fear‑based power
Rome was the superpower of its day — and Jesus defeated it not by matching its strength, but by revealing its weakness. The Cross is not naïve. It is subversive.
It is equally important to understand that the Way of the Cross is not passive — it is radically active. It confronts injustice without becoming unjust. It resists evil without mirroring evil. It speaks truth without using threats. It absorbs violence without returning it. This is not weakness. It is moral courage of the highest order.
It is the kind of courage that exposed the holocaust, toppled apartheid, united East and Western Europe, and toppled British colonial rule in India.
None of these fell because someone had better bombs. They fell because someone had deeper conviction.
The Cross is not a geopolitical strategy. It is a kingdom identity. Where Superpowers seek victory. Christ seeks transformation. Where Superpowers seek dominance. Christ seeks reconciliation. Where Superpowers seek leverage. Christ seeks love.
So is it naïve? Yes — but only to empires.
- To the world, the Cross is naïve. To the kingdom, it is wisdom.
- To the world, the Cross is weakness. To the kingdom, it is power.
- To the world, the Cross is unrealistic. To the kingdom, it is the only reality that lasts.
- Empires rise and fall. The Cross remains.