Wild Faith

An account drawn from primary sources and the firsthand accounts of survivors that chronicles the fierce and ungovernable rise of the Christian right over the last half-century that lays out the grim vision Evangelicals are trying to enforce on our democracy.

All across America, a storm is gathering: from book bans in school libraries to anti-trans laws in state legislatures; firebombings of abortion clinics and protests against gay rights. The Christian right, a political force in America for more than half a century, has never been more powerful than it is right now--and they won't stop until they've refashioned America in their own image.

In Wild Faith: The Christian Right, Theocracy, and the Battle for America, author Talia Lavin goes deep into the beliefs that motivate the Christian right, from its segregationist past to a future riddled with apocalyptic visions. Along the way, she explores what motivates anti-abortion terrorists; the Christian Patriarchy movement, with its desire to place all women under absolute male control; the twisted theology that leads to rampant child abuse; and the ways conspiracy theorists and extremist Christians influence each other to mutual benefit.

Readers will meet "deliverance ministers" who carry out exorcisms by the hundred; modern-day, self-proclaimed prophets and apostles; Christian militias, cults, zealots, and showmen; and the people in power who are aiding them to achieve their goals.

From school boards to the Supreme Court, Christian theocracy is ascendant in America -- and only through exploring its motivations and impacts can we understand the crisis we face. Can a multiracial democracy survive in the face of an organized, fervent theocratic movement, one that seeks to impose its beliefs on every citizen of this country -- whether they believe in Jesus, or somebody else, or no God at all?

"A full-bore attack on Christian nationalism's crusade to remake America."--Kirkus Reviews
"Well-told... important and shocking."--Publishers Weekly
"Talia Lavin's latest deep dive into the darkest--and sometimes deadliest--corners of society takes readers inside the Christian extremism movement that's threatening the country. It's a sobering and essential read that, unfortunately, could not be timelier. Rendered in Lavin's trademark intricate, heart-tugging prose, Wild Faith delivers its apocalyptic message with great urgency and flair. Read this book: your life may depend on it."--Kim Kelly, author of Fight Like Hell
"Talia Lavin's stunning Wild Faith is an urgent prophecy, a clarion call, a dire warning about what has been happening in America in plain sight, and yet under the noses of millions. With gorgeous prose and her inimitable style, Lavin lifts up a mirror to the ways in which abuse in private becomes public policy, religion is corrupted into fanaticism, and decades of culture warring has led to the brink--a moment we must face squarely, and fight in solidarity."--Sarah Weinman, author of The Real Lolita and Scoundrel
"The Christian right has been threatening American plurality for decades, and its influence is on the rise. In Wild Faith, Talia Lavin thoroughly chronicles how this reactionary force is spreading through the US political system and sounds a clear alarm: Christian nationalism is a growing danger to democracy. To fully understand the peril at hand, you must read this book, which is both an investigative triumph and a warning."--David Corn, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Russian Roulette and American Psychosis
"The good news is that Talia Lavin, with extensive research and deft analysis, has shone a light into the dark corners of hard-right activism. The bad news, as Wild Faith demonstrates, is that an alarming number of white evangelicals are scampering into those corners."--Randall Balmer, author of Bad Faith

Talia Lavin is a journalist who has had bylines in the New Yorker, the New Republic, the New York Times Review of Books, the Washington Post, the Village Voice, and more.

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