This chapter provides a historical overview of the influence of Republican politics on the evangelical movement, showcasing key figures like Jerry Falwell Sr. and the creation of the moral majority. It explores the culture wars, the fundraising apparatus of the movement, and the urgency of the culture wars that drove many evangelicals to support Donald Trump. It delves into the polarizing effect of Trump's presidency on the church and the epidemic of fear within the evangelical movement.
Tim Alberta is a fantastic reporter whose profiles of 2024 hopeful Nikki Haley and former CNN boss Chris Licht proved illuminating and impactful (Licht lost his job days after). In his latest book, Alberta has profiled not a person but a movement: the evangelical church. It’s a community that rallied around Donald Trump in 2016, 2020 and will likely do so in 2024. And it’s one Alberta knows well: his father was an evangelical pastor. Alberta’s new book, “The Kingdom, The Power and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism” takes him back to his hometown church to understand how the evangelical church has reshaped American politics.
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