The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy

"Required reading for anyone seeking to understand Christian nationalism." —Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne

A propulsive account of the network of charismatic Christians that consolidated support for Donald Trump and is reshaping religion and politics in the US.

Over the last decade, the Religious Right has evolved. Some of the more extreme beliefs of American evangelicalism have begun to take hold in the mainstream. Scholar Matthew D. Taylor pulls back the curtain on a little-known movement of evangelical Christians who see themselves waging spiritual battles on a massive scale. Known as the New Apostolic Reformation, this network of leaders and believers emerged only three decades ago but now yields colossal influence, galvanizing support for Trump and far-right leaders around the world. In this groundbreaking account, Taylor explores the New Apostolic Reformation from its inception in the work of a Fuller Seminary professor, to its immense networks of apostles and prophets, to its role in the January 6 riot. Charismatic faith provided righteous fuel to the fire that day, where symbols of spiritual warfare blazed: rioters blew shofars, worship music blared, and people knelt in prayer. This vision of charismatic Christianity now animates millions, lured by Spirit-filled revival and visions of Christian supremacy.

Taylor's unprecedented access to the movement's leaders, archives, internal conference calls, and correspondence gives us an insider account of the connection between charismatic evangelicalism and hard-right rhetoric. Taylor delves into prophetic memes like the Seven Mountains Mandate, the Appeal to Heaven flag, and the Cyrus Anointing; Trump's spiritual advisor Paula White's call for "angelic reinforcements"; and Sean Feucht and Bethel Music's titanic command of worship styles across America. Throughout, Taylor maps a movement of magnetic leaders and their uncompromising beliefs--and where it might be headed next. When people long to conquer a nation for God, democracy can be brought to the brink.

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Publisher Broadleaf Books
Format Hardcover
ISBN 9781506497785
eBook ISBN 9781506497792
Dimensions 6.25 x 9.25
Pages 292
Publication Date October 1, 2024

Endorsements

"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."

--Kristin Kobes Du Mez, New York Times bestselling author of Jesus and John Wayne

"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."

--Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA), co-chair, Congressional Freethought Caucus

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

--Katherine Stewart, author of The Power Worshippers

"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."

--Robert P. Jones, New York Times bestselling author of The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: And the Path to a Shared American Future

"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."

--Sarah Posner, author of Unholy

"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." 

--Bradley Onishi, author of Preparing for War and host of the Straight White American Jesus podcast

"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."

--Samuel L. Perry, author of Taking America Back for God and The Flag and the Cross

"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."

--Jim Wallis, director of the Center on Faith and Justice at Georgetown University and author of The False White Gospel

"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."

--Elle Hardy, author of Beyond Belief

"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."

--Peter Manseau, author of One Nation, Under Gods

"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."

--Anne Nelson, author of Shadow Network

"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."

--Leah Payne, author of God Gave Rock and Roll to You

"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."

--Jon Ward, author of Testimony and Camelot's End

Reviews

"Fascinating"

The New York Times

"Lifts the veil from Independent Charismatics and explains that the self-proclaimed 'apostles' and 'prophets' aligned with Trump represent a theological challenge to the moralistic issue-oriented denominational titans of the early Christian right."

Washington Monthly