The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism

  • Downloads:7078
  • Type:Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date:2023-12-08 07:21:31
  • Update Date:2025-09-13
  • Status:finish
  • Author:Tim Alberta
  • ISBN:B0CG2YFBHL
  • Environment:PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Summary

The award-winning journalist and staff writer for The Atlantic follows up his New York Times bestseller American Carnage with this timely, rigorously reported, and deeply personal examination of the divisions that threaten to destroy the American evangelical movement。 Evangelical Christians are perhaps the most polarizing--and least understood--people living in America today。 In his seminal new book, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, journalist Tim Alberta, himself a practicing Christian and the son of an evangelical preacher, paints an expansive and profoundly troubling portrait of the American evangelical movement。 Through the eyes of televangelists and small-town preachers, celebrity revivalists and everyday churchgoers, Alberta tells the story of a faith cheapened by ephemeral fear, a promise corrupted by partisan subterfuge, and a reputation stained by perpetual scandal。 For millions of conservative Christians, America is their kingdom--a land set apart, a nation uniquely blessed, a people in special covenant with God。 This love of country, however, has given way to right-wing nationalist fervor, a reckless blood-and-soil idolatry that trivializes the kingdom of Jesus Christ。 Alberta retraces the arc of the modern evangelical movement, placing political and cultural inflection points in the context of church teachings and traditions, explaining how Donald Trump's presidency and the Covid-19 pandemic only accelerated historical trends that long pointed toward disaster。 Reporting from half-empty sanctuaries and standing-room-only convention halls across the country, the author documents a growing fracture inside American Christianity, journeying with readers through this strange new environment in which loving your enemies is "woke" and owning the libs is the answer to WWJD。 Accessing the highest echelons of the American evangelical movement, Alberta investigates the ways in which conservative Christians have pursued, exercised, and often abused power in the name of securing this earthly kingdom。 He highlights the battles evangelicals are fighting--and the weapons of their warfare--to demonstrate the disconnect from Contra the dictates of the New Testament, today's believers are struggling mightily against flesh and blood, eyes fixed on the here and now, desperate for a power that is frivolous and fleeting。 Lingering at the intersection of real cultural displacement and perceived religious persecution, Alberta portrays a rapidly secularizing America that has come to distrust the evangelical church, and weaves together present-day narratives of individual pastors and their churches as they confront the twin challenges of lost status and diminished standing。 Sifting through the wreckage--pastors broken, congregations battered, believers losing their religion because of sex scandals and political schemes--Alberta If the American evangelical movement has ceased to glorify God, then what is its purpose?

Download

Reviews

wyclif

If you're looking for a reliable book about evangelicalism and the temptation of that movement to entertain certain elements of the far right, this is the book for you。 Alberta is much more connected politically than academics like Kristin Du Mez (of "Jesus and John Wayne" infamy), which gives his book an authenticity lacking in the treatments of the subject by outsiders。 Alberta is also a real reporter and journalist—that's a distinction that makes an obvious difference in how he investigates t If you're looking for a reliable book about evangelicalism and the temptation of that movement to entertain certain elements of the far right, this is the book for you。 Alberta is much more connected politically than academics like Kristin Du Mez (of "Jesus and John Wayne" infamy), which gives his book an authenticity lacking in the treatments of the subject by outsiders。 Alberta is also a real reporter and journalist—that's a distinction that makes an obvious difference in how he investigates the ways in which conservative Christians have pursued and abused power in the name of securing an earthly kingdom。 Recommended。 。。。more

Bruce Katz

Exactly what I expected。 Dismaying。 Even more so for the author, I imagine, for these are people he grew up with。 But he sees hope -- signs of push back against Trump idolatry, threats of violence, and gross hypocrisy。 Most of the book focuses on MAGA evangelicals (gotta love the Jesus + guns signs), but he also looks at the cover-ups of sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Leadership Conference。PS: This is from an article by David French in today's NY Times。 French actually appears in several c Exactly what I expected。 Dismaying。 Even more so for the author, I imagine, for these are people he grew up with。 But he sees hope -- signs of push back against Trump idolatry, threats of violence, and gross hypocrisy。 Most of the book focuses on MAGA evangelicals (gotta love the Jesus + guns signs), but he also looks at the cover-ups of sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Leadership Conference。PS: This is from an article by David French in today's NY Times。 French actually appears in several chapters of Alberta's book。 In 2018, Paul Djupe, a Denison University professor, and Ryan Burge, a statistician and associate professor at Eastern Illinois University, reported that Republican approval for Trump was positively correlated with church attendance: The more often people went to church, the more likely they were to strongly approve of Trump。 By 2020, white evangelicals who attended church monthly or more were more likely to support Trump than evangelical voters who attended rarely or not at all。 。。。more

Lisa

Religious nationalism has taken over many evangelical churches and pulpits。 How has this happened? Trump has helped many to think that if you have a vote for anyone else but him, you are voting away religious liberty。 This often translates that a vote against Trump is a vote against God? Yet, Trump has lied, cheated, and is a person rather unworthy of the evangelical backing。 The evangelical view doesn’t make sense from a point of view outside of the evangelical church。The author notes that it s Religious nationalism has taken over many evangelical churches and pulpits。 How has this happened? Trump has helped many to think that if you have a vote for anyone else but him, you are voting away religious liberty。 This often translates that a vote against Trump is a vote against God? Yet, Trump has lied, cheated, and is a person rather unworthy of the evangelical backing。 The evangelical view doesn’t make sense from a point of view outside of the evangelical church。The author notes that it seems as if evangelicals see the kingdom of USA on earth is God’s kingdom。 Rather, the kingdom of God is in heaven not on earth。This book needed to be written。 It describes how some churches have moved away from Christ’s teachings, of Jesus at the heart and center of Christianity。 Personally, I have felt that the USA recent political climate has pushed the values of church away from their foundations。 Consequently, many feel the church has left me, not the other way around。 Many feel abandoned from their church at a time where a major decline in church attendance had started。 。。。more

John Schorg

A book about the changes that have come to religion as devotion to faith has been eclipsed by pursuit of power。 The conflict has never been depicted as clearly as the author has done here, and he should be applauded for discussing how difficult it will be to heal the breach。

Joseph

My non-fiction book of the year。 This is a comprehensive look at the American evangelical movement over the past several decades from a writer whose father was an evangelical pastor and is a believer himself。 It's not as if Christopher Hitchens wrote this book to mock Christians and anyone with faith。 Alberta deftly describes how a mission to serve God, rather than accrue earthly acclaim, has been upended to where it's essentially a combat sport for defacto Republicans so they can "own the libs。 My non-fiction book of the year。 This is a comprehensive look at the American evangelical movement over the past several decades from a writer whose father was an evangelical pastor and is a believer himself。 It's not as if Christopher Hitchens wrote this book to mock Christians and anyone with faith。 Alberta deftly describes how a mission to serve God, rather than accrue earthly acclaim, has been upended to where it's essentially a combat sport for defacto Republicans so they can "own the libs。" The economics of preaching to what people want to hear--right-wing polemics, rather than interpreting the Bible from Jesus' example。 Evangelicals have their radio, media, conferences, and book publishers to sell them more of what they already believe and demonize others who don't comply with their prescribed beliefs。 Alberta interviews many of the individuals who are surprisingly unable to satisfactorily answer rather fundamental questions--that Jesus knew that those who walked the earth were sinners and that he was more interested in non-earthly matters。 Yet evangelical pastors might agree with the premise and go on to focus on political matters that get their congregants worked up about how governments are coming to subvert their faith。 ("We had no problem saying that Jesus would have been a Republican。 Even though his kingdom's not of this world。 How do we get around that。") He then goes on to annihilate the prosperity gospel--that individual wealth accumulation is evidence of God wanting people to be blessed with riches。 He also goes on to highlight the abuse that exists in these churches and highlights brave evangelicals who were threatened and essentially ex-communicated because they published these transgressions rather than wanting to settle issues within the governance structures of the church。 ("Jesus possessed a uniquely pessimistic view of human nature。 Having taken flesh to redeem a fallen mankind, He saw how people continually tried to justify themselves rather than repenting and seeking renewal in God's grace。。。 There is a reason why Paul demands we rebuke sinful church leaders "before everyone, so that the others may take warning。" Throughout scripture, God demands a greater accountability from those in positions of spiritual influence。") The genius, I believe, of practical governing is the "separation of church and state。" Alberta not only shows what type of individuals we would get governing us if the US adopted a "Christian nation" status (anti-science, anti-democratic, insular, white-male dominated。。。) but also highlights that the true individual of faith is not seeking earthly dominion over others but looking for grace and his/her acceptance in a non-earthly kingdom。 An excellent contemporary history and a forthright examination of the people, ideas, and behaviors in today's evangelical movement。 Yet it doesn't insult believers and admires those who try and continue practicing their faith by being humble, decent, and modest in their efforts to reach salvation。 。。。more

Cathy Doyle

An excellent overview of religion and politics in America today。 Highly recommended。And this was an advance copy from the publisher

Marcy

The best explanation of the rise of the evangelical movement and why we are now in the age of Christian Nationalism。 Very scary stuff with only a little sliver of hope at the end that we can save ourselves。

Tag

    the kingdom the power and the glory american evangelicals in an age of extremism