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Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism

by Michelle Goldberg

Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism Cover

Review-a-Day   (What is Review-a-Day?)

"Kingdom Coming is an important work of investigative journalism, exposing as it does a mass movement with 'a vision of reality utterly at odds with that of the secular world,' that would use its power to impose a religious worldview on a diverse country. Godlberg's book is also an impassioned plea against, 'fundamentalism, tribalism, Puritanism and obscurantism,' and for, 'modernity, humanism, reason and progress.' Those are the values with which she makes her case." Anna Godbersen, Esquire (read the entire Esquire review)

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

An eye-opening account of a groundswell religious movement determined to change America.

Michelle Goldberg's Kingdom Coming takes us on a journey through an America in the grips of a fevered religious radicalism: the America of our time. From the classroom to the megachurch to the federal court, Goldberg carefully demonstrates how the growing influence of dominionism — the doctrine that Christians have the right to rule nonbelievers — is threatening the foundations of democracy.

Deep within the "red" zones of a divided America we meet military retirees pledging to seize the nation in Christ's name, perfidious congressmen courting the confidence of neo-confederates and proponents of theocracy, and leaders of federally funded programs offering Jesus as the solution to the country's social problems.

Kingdom Coming offers the powerful testimony of "regular" Americans to illustrate the subversive effect of this conservative stranglehold nationwide, and it urgently requires us to turn our attention to the mechanisms of an insidious fundamentalism opposed to science, pluralism, and reason.

Review:

"In an impressive piece of lucid journalism, Salon.com reporter Goldberg dives into the religious right and sorts out the history and networks of what to most liberals is an inscrutable parallel universe. She deconstructs 'dominion theology,' the prevalent evangelical assertion that Christians have a 'responsibility to take over every aspect of society.' Goldberg makes no attempt to hide her own partisanship, calling herself a 'secular Jew and ardent urbanite' who wrote the book because she 'was terrified by America's increasing hostility to...cosmopolitan values.' This carefully researched and riveting treatise will hardly allay its audience's fears, however; secular liberals and mainstream believers alike will find Goldberg's descriptions of today's culture wars deeply disturbing. She traces the deep financial and ideological ties between fundamentalist Christians and the Republican Party, and discloses the dangers she believes are inherent to the Bush administration's faith-based social services initiative. Other chapters follow inflammatory political tactics on wedge issues like gay rights, evolution and sex education. Significantly, her conclusions do not come off as hysterical or shrill. Even while pointing to stark parallels between fascism and the language of the religious right, Goldberg's vision of America's future is measured and realistic. Her book is a potent wakeup call to pluralists in the coming showdown with Christian nationalists. (May 15)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Book News Annotation:

Christian nationalism is what Goldberg, a senior writer at Salon, calls the totalistic political ideology adhered to by millions of Americans that consciously repudiates Enlightenment rationalism. It differs from earlier enthusiastic religious outbreaks in the US, she says by extrapolating a total political program from its interpretation of Christian scripture, yoking that program to a political party, and seeing America's triumphs as a confirmation of their truth. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Review:

"[Goldberg] ends by exhorting her readers to retake the country from the grassroots up. If you think that Christianity is the new Communism, then this is the book for you." Kirkus Reviews

Synopsis:

Michelle Goldberg, a senior political reporter for Salon.com, has been covering the intersection of politics and ideology for years. Before the 2004 election, and during the ensuing months when many Americans were trying to understand how an administration marked by cronyism, disregard for the national budget, and poorly disguised self-interest had been reinstated, Goldberg traveled through the heartland of a country in the grips of a fevered religious radicalism: the America of our time.

In an age when faith rather than reason is heralded and the values of the Enlightenment are threatened by a mystical nationalism claiming divine sanction, Kingdom Coming brings us face to face with the irrational forces that are remaking much of America.

Synopsis:

Michelle Goldberg, a senior political reporter for Salon.com, has been covering the intersection of politics and ideology for years. Before the 2004 election, and during the ensuing months when many Americans were trying to understand how an administration marked by cronyism, disregard for the national budget, and poorly disguised self-interest had been reinstated, Goldberg traveled through the heartland of a country in the grips of a fevered religious radicalism: the America of our time. From the classroom to the mega-church to the federal court, she saw how the growing influence of dominionism-the doctrine that Christians have the right to rule nonbelievers-is threatening the foundations of democracy. In Kingdom Coming, Goldberg demonstrates how an increasingly bellicose fundamentalism is gaining traction throughout our national life, taking us on a tour of the parallel right-wing evangelical culture that is buoyed by Republican political patronage. Deep within the red zones of a divided America, we meet military retirees pledging to seize the nation in Christ's name, perfidious congressmen courting the confidence of neo-confederates and proponents of theocracy, and leaders of federally funded programs offering Jesus as the solution to the country's social problems. With her trenchant interviews and the telling testimonies of the people behind this movement, Goldberg gains access into the hearts and minds of citizens who are striving to remake the secular Republic bequeathed by our founders into a Christian nation run according to their interpretation of scripture. In her examination of the ever-widening divide between believers and nonbelievers, Goldberg illustrates the subversive effect of this conservative stranglehold nationwide. In an age when faith rather than reason is heralded and the values of the Enlightenment are threatened by a mystical nationalism claiming divine sanction, Kingdom Coming brings us face to face with the irrational forces that are remaking much of America.

Synopsis:

A senior political reporter for Salon.com who has been covering the intersection of politics and ideology for years discusses how the growing influence of dominionism--the doctrine that Christians have the right to rule nonbelievers--is threatening the foundations of democracy.

About the Author

Michelle Goldberg is a veteran reporter at Salon.com, where she has reported extensively on both sides of America's ever-seething culture war. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 4 comments:
rozzi, January 5, 2009 (view all comments by rozzi)
I am writing from Australia, where I have lived for 30 years to say this seems to be a world-wide agenda.
When I first came here, this was really the most secular society. If anything the Christians were very liberal & generous and rather like inter-faith people.
And the compassionate Buddhists seemed to be the largest conversion group, while all the other religions were well accepted. However just in the last 10 years the right wing Christians with their hateful intolerant agenda have appeared from nowhere,
on the attack of anyone who doesn't accept their
narrow mean spirited belief system, or doesn't fit into their robotic dumbed down family values crap.
I worked in the social services field for many years,
with brilliant giving people who were Humanists, New Agers, Buddhists, Spiritualists, & Gays - terribley committed to humanitarian causes, only to watch them
in these recent years be persecuted & pushed out of their jobs (often where they had worked for 20 years)
to be replaced by nasty mean spirited judgemental
Fundamentalist Christians, devoid of compassion, & committed to nothing but their own Fascist Christian
programing. In the Middle Ages under this sort of belief system - one third of the European population
was burnt at the stake. Are we going to wait for them to do this again ?
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keim80, August 29, 2006 (view all comments by keim80)
I feel as though I'm qualified to make a comment on this subject, even though I've only read the review, because of my upbringing. To qualify my statement, I was born and raised in an Amish community in Ohio. Half of my immediate family is still Amish. Let me tell you, if anyone knows about christian fundamentalism, I believe I qualify. Believe me, it is every bit as dangerous as Ms. Goldberg describes. I broke from the shackles of Puritanism in 1969. These Fundamental Mega Churches, are in my view, no different. It's their way or the highway. This religious fundamentalism craze going on in this coutry, in my view is the closest thing to "communism" I could possibly imagine.
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(19 of 36 readers found this comment helpful)
freethink, August 6, 2006 (view all comments by freethink)
I just finished reading Kingdom Coming yesterday, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone concerned about the very real threat the Christian right poses to the separation of church and state.

Goldberg covers everything from the "intelligent design" controversy to Christian-run "Pregnancy Crisis Centers" (which use the rhetoric of normal womens' clinics but try to scare women out of getting abortions and do not encourage condom use) to the attack on the judicial system. She mixes in personal conversations with a lot of well-researched data, making it an enjoyable and informative read.

I found the book particularly useful as someone who is just starting to learn more and more about the influence of the Christian right, because Goldberg brings to light so many key people, ideas, and organizations that are essential to be aware of.

I thorougly enjoyed this book, and look forward to seeing what else Goldberg comes out with in the future.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780393060942
Subtitle:
The Rise of Christian Nationalism
Author:
Goldberg, Michelle
Publisher:
W. W. Norton & Company
Subject:
General
Subject:
Fundamentalism
Subject:
Christianity and politics
Subject:
Dominion theology
Subject:
Religion, Politics & State
Subject:
Christianity - History - General
Copyright:
Publication Date:
May 11, 2006
Binding:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Pages:
242
Dimensions:
8.60x5.76x.86 in. .90 lbs.

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