Augsburg Fortress

"With its meticulous research, lively writing, and exceptionally nuanced analysis, The Violent Take It by Force pulls back the curtain on the radical religious movement once occupying the fringes of American Christianity but now situated within reach of the centers of American power. This book should be required reading for anyone seeking to understand Christian nationalism and the threat it poses to American democracy."

"A meticulously researched, cogently explained translation of the often-unintelligible language of the far-right Christian nationalist movement, including the shadowy networks of apostles and prophets that use strategic spiritual warfare, ancient symbols, and unique theologies to support an agenda of authoritarianism and global Christian supremacy. Whether you are a policy maker, a student of religion, or a citizen who simply values separation of church and state, you will find The Violent Take It by Force illuminating, authoritative, and compelling."

"Fascinating and revelatory . . . Taylor's sensitively reported exploration is a vital contribution to our understanding of the crisis facing democracy."

"A harrowing tour of the once-fringe charismatic forces that have coopted and upended the contemporary Christian Right political movement, infusing it with an anti-democratic theology of spiritual warfare that is increasingly spilling over into political violence."

"An essential guide to the radical charismatic Christian movement that catapulted from the fringes of evangelicalism to the center of Republican politics in the Trump era."

"Every once in a while a book comes along that changes not only its field, but how many of us understand the past and future of the United States. This is one of those books." 

"If you think you've already read everything you need to understand American Christian nationalism, think again. The movement is more diverse than many realize. And nobody knows its charismatic and violent elements better than Matthew D. Taylor."

"This astounding book is the inside story of the theology that both undergirded and inspired the January 6 insurrection and has continued to grow into the greatest religious threat to democracy this election year. Matthew Taylor's brilliant work here is a great place to start in our understanding of how bad religion must be replaced by true faith."

"Thoroughly researched and highly accessible, The Violent Take It by Force is essential reading for anyone who wants to learn about the religious ideology and key figures that helped foment January 6, and how Christian supremacy is set to continue to shape the United States."

"An essential book for understanding the role of religion in twenty-first-century American politics. A thorough study and a thoroughly unnerving warning, The Violent Take It by Force should be required reading for anyone concerned about the future of our democracy."

"Matthew Taylor shines a bright light on a dark corner of American Christianity, depicting its role in the ascendency of Donald Trump, the January 6 insurrection, and the 'holy violence' it is bringing to our political life. In brisk, engaging prose, he portrays the leaders and the followers of a movement that threatens to replace rational public discourse with strident demonology, endangering the future of our democracy."

"The New Apostolic Reformation is filled with characters, and in The Violent Take It by Force, Matthew D. Taylor brings major figures of the movement--their spirituality, their political ambition, and their proximity to the January 6 insurrection--to life. Taylor's work illuminates the NAR's aim to shape religion and politics in the 2024 election cycle and beyond."

"Matthew D. Taylor's work is a gift. He has given us an empathetic, fair-minded, highly intelligent, and eminently readable story that explains one of the most important religious movements in modern America. Most people don't even know what the New Apostolic Reformation is, much less that it has been a driving force of Christian Trumpism. The Violent Take It by Force will change that."