Unholy : why white evangelicals worship at the altar of Donald Trump

A stunning feat of reportage that explains one of the central mysteries of the Trump era: the unholy marriage of Trump and the Evangelicals, as officiated by the alt-right. Why did so many Evangelicals turn out to vote for Donald Trump, a serial philanderer with questionable conservative credentials who seems to defy Christian values with his every utterance? To a reporter like Sarah Posner, who has been covering the religious right for decades, the answer turns out to be far more intuitive than one might think. In this taut and meticulously reported inquiry, Posner digs deep into the radical history of the religious right to reveal how issues of race and xenophobia have always been at the movement's core, and how religion has been used to cloak anxieties about perceived threats to a white, Christian America. Fueled by an anti-democratic impulse, and united by this narrative of reverse victimization, the religious right and the alt-right support a common agenda--and are actively using the erosion of democratic norms to roll back civil rights advances, stock the judiciary with hard-right judges, defang and deregulate federal agencies, and undermine the credibility of the free press. Increasingly, this formidable bloc is also forging ties with European far right groups, giving momentum to a truly global movement forecasted to last long after the Trump era. Revelatory and engrossing, Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump offers a deeper understanding of the ideological underpinnings and forces influencing the course of Republican politics. This is a book that must be read by anyone who cares about the future of American democracy. "In terrifying detail, Unholy illustrates how a vast network of white Christian nationalists plotted the authoritarian takeover of the American democratic system. For anyone wondering what a second Trump administration might bring, there is no more timely book than this one."#8212;Janet Reitman, author of Inside Scientology Why did so many evangelicals turn out to vote for Donald Trump, a serial philanderer with questionable conservative credentials who seems to defy Christian values with his every utterance? To a reporter like Sarah Posner, who has been covering the religious right for decades, the answer turns out to be far more intuitive than one might think. In this taut inquiry, Posner digs deep into the radical history of the religious right to reveal how issues of race and xenophobia have always been at the movement's core, and how religion often cloaked anxieties about perceived threats to a white, Christian America. Fueled by an antidemocratic impulse, and united by this narrative of reverse victimization, the religious right and the alt-right support a common agenda#8211;and are actively using the erosion of democratic norms to roll back civil rights advances, stock the judiciary with hard-right judges, defang and deregulate federal agencies, and undermine the credibility of the free press. Increasingly, this formidable bloc is also forging ties with European far right groups, giving momentum to a truly global movement. Revelatory and engrossing, Unholy offers a deeper understanding of the ideological underpinnings and forces influencing the course of Republican politics. This is a book that must be read by anyone who cares about the future of American democracy A “masterful and meticulous”* feat of reportage that explains one of the central mysteries of the Trump era: the unholy marriage of Trump and the evangelicals, as officiated by the alt-right. *Jane Mayer, author of Dark Money Why did so many evangelicals turn out to vote for Donald Trump, a serial philanderer with questionable conservative credentials who seems to defy Christian values with his every utterance? To a reporter like Sarah Posner, who has been covering the religious right for decades, the answer turns out to be far more intuitive than one might think. In this taut inquiry, Posner digs deep into the radical history of the religious right to reveal how issues of race and xenophobia have always been at the movement’s core, and how religion often cloaked anxieties about perceived threats to a white, Christian America. Fueled by an antidemocratic impulse, and united by this narrative of reverse victimization, the religious right and the alt-right support a common agenda–and are actively using the erosion of democratic norms to roll back civil rights advances, stock the judiciary with hard-right judges, defang and deregulate federal agencies, and undermine the credibility of the free press. Increasingly, this formidable bloc is also forging ties with European far right groups, giving momentum to a truly global movement. Revelatory and engrossing, Unholy offers a deeper understanding of the ideological underpinnings and forces influencing the course of Republican politics. This is a book that must be read by anyone who cares about the future of American democracy. A Stunning Feat Of Reportage That Explains One Of The Central Mysteries Of The Trump Era: The Unholy Marriage Of Trump And The Evangelicals, As Officiated By The Alt-right. Why Did So Many Evangelicals Turn Out To Vote For Donald Trump, A Serial Philanderer With Questionable Conservative Credentials Who Seems To Defy Christian Values With His Every Utterance? To A Reporter Like Sarah Posner, Who Has Been Covering The Religious Right For Decades, The Answer Turns Out To Be Far More Intuitive Than One Might Think. In This Taut And Meticulously Reported Inquiry, Posner Digs Deep Into The Radical History Of The Religious Right To Reveal How Issues Of Race And Xenophobia Have Always Been At The Movement's Core, And How Religion Often Cloaked Anxieties About Perceived Threats To A White, Christian America. Fueled By An Antidemocratic Impulse, And United By This Narrative Of Reverse Victimization, The Religious Right And The Alt-right Support A Common Agenda-and Are Actively Using The Erosion Of Democratic Norms To Roll Back Civil Rights Advances, Stock The Judiciary With Hard-right Judges, Defang And Deregulate Federal Agencies, And Undermine The Credibility Of The Free Press. Increasingly, This Formidable Bloc Is Also Forging Ties With European Far Right Groups, Giving Momentum To A Truly Global Movement. Revelatory And Engrossing, Unholy Offers A Deeper Understanding Of The Ideological Underpinnings And Forces Influencing The Course Of Republican Politics. This Is A Book That Must Be Read By Anyone Who Cares About The Future Of American Democracy. "Why did so many Evangelicals turn out to vote for Donald Trump, a serial philanderer with questionable conservative credentials who seems to defy Christian values with his every utterance? To a reporter like Sarah Posner, who has been covering the religious right for decades, the answer turns out to be far more intuitive than one might think. In this taut and meticulously reported inquiry, Posner digs deep into the radical history of the religious right to reveal how issues of race and xenophobia have always been at the movement's core, and how religion has been used to cloak anxieties about percieved threats to a white, Christian America. Fueled by an anti-democratic impulse, and united by this narrative of reverse victimization, the religious right and the alt-right support a common agenda--and are actively using the erosion of democratic norms to roll back civil rights advances, stock the judiciary with hard-right judges, defang and deregulate federal agencies, and undermine the credibility of the free press. Increasingly, this formidable bloc is also forging ties with European far right groups, giving momentum to a truly global movement forecasted to last long after the Trump era. Revelatory and engrossing, Unholy offers a deeper understanding of the ideological underpinnings and forces influencing the course of Republican politics. This is a book that must be read by anyone who cares about the future of American democracy"-- Provided by publisher "In this taut inquiry into the seemingly confounding alliance between Donald Trump and the evangelicals, Posner peels back layers of the religious right's radical history to reveal how issues of race and xenophobia have always been at the movement's core. United in a narrative of victimization, the religious right and the alt-right came together to champion Trump's erosion of democratic norms by rolling back civil rights advances, stacking the Supreme Court with hard-right judges, defanging and deregulating federal agencies, and undermining the credibility of the free press. In Unholy, Posner deconstructs the myriad ways in which these two groups became not-so-strange bedfellows, and shows how this union is fueled by antidemocratic impulses worldwide. Revelatory and engrossing, Unholy offers a deeper understanding of the ideological underpinnings and forces influencing the course of Republican politics today."-- Back cover