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

by Tim Alberta

He is as convinced that Trump won the 2020 election, he told me, as he is that Jesus rose from the dead two thousand years ago.

As recently as five or six years earlier, even as the evangelical-political brand was becoming more disputatious, it would have been scandalous to see such vile and violent symbolism at an event associated with Christianity.

I think this is a perfect example of what I didn't like in this book. The whole premise is that evangelicals recent turn into Qanon level conspiracy hurts the church. At times however, it becomes clear that this isn't a recent thing. At times the author slips and talks about Obama's terms in office with the tea party movement, which is very similar in both vitriol and violence.

“You can’t have a legitimate conversation with these people who are all in on Trump. Because if you find any flaw in him, even flaws that are demonstrable, they either excuse it or attack you.”

Was he knowingly shedding his principles in the pursuit of fame and influence? Or was he actually convinced that America needed saving and that Donald Trump was our national Messiah?

He referred to the vice president as “Camel A. Harris,” then started in on Michelle Obama, calling her “the American Winnie Mandela.” (Nobody in the racially homogeneous audience seemed to mind.)

Another time where it's clear that this vitriol has been around a long time

We have people on the ground everywhere. I mean, literally anywhere you see human suffering, you see Southern Baptists, you see evangelicals,” Darling told me.

This quote made me laugh. The speaker was trying to highlight missionary work, but i feel like this quote stands by itself and is better without context