Subtitled: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism
(Norton, August 2026, 221pp, including 26pp acknowledgements, notes, and further reading)
This book came to my attention because its author, a congressman from California, was on KQED’s Forum show a few weeks ago (audio and transcript here) and Huffman is the only member of Congress to ‘come out’ as an atheist or agnostic, or as he puts it, “he does not believe in gods.” This isn’t just a coming-out story, though; it’s mostly about what he’s observed from Congress about the organizations pushing Christian nationalism, and specific members of the current administration who endorse them or actively promote them. Finding out who they are and what they “believe” is pretty scary. As I’ve said before, they strike me as un-American, putting their religion above the Constitution they swore to uphold, a Constitution they would replace if they could.
Key Points
- The author came out as a nonbeliever, the only one in Congress. He noticed the religious expressions of the January 6th rioters, and realized the extent of the Christian Nationalist movement.
- The idea of the culture war was seldom heard before the 2000s, though its roots go back to the 1980s, and ranged through the Moral Majority and Jerry Falwell, then faded as the Cold War ended. So the religious right looked for new enemies: liberal culture.
- When author arrived in Congress, token endorsements of religion were common, but so were deep incursions of Christian nationalism, signified by ‘prophets’ like Paula White and Lance Walnau, with politicians like Cruz, Huckabee, and Carson following their lead. As their influence spread, Democrats didn’t seem to notice or care.
- There are three principle subcultures of Christian Nationalism:
- The Rad Trads of Catholocism, reacting to the Vatican II reforms of the 1960s; sympathizers include Vance, Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, Candace Owens. They cheer on the end of democracy.
- The Theo Bros, worried about the end of civilization, inspired by the Crusades; includes a string of churches called ‘kirks’; Biblical literalism; they aim for Christian domination in all dimensions of life. Hegseth, Doug Wilson, Joel Webbon, Marc Andreesen.
- NAR, the New Apostolic Reformation. Prophecies, miraculous healings, speaking in tongues; God and Satan in a cosmic battle. Demons. Anticipating the end times. The Appeal to Heaven flag. Mike Johnson.
- A through theme is the end of church-state separation, with revisionist histories of America and its founders. Dan Patrick, David Barton. Cruz, Huckabee, Mike Johnson. The myth of the ‘naked public square’ and the idea of Christian persecution if other religions are recognized at all.
- Another theme: Christian privilege, with an example of how the religious influences of the Jan. 6th rioters were deliberately omitted from the committee report, at Liz Cheney’s behest.
- Another: the shadow theocracy in government, with prayer meetings, myths about George Washington flying the Appeal to Heaven flag. David Barton, Lauren Boebert, the moral standards of the Dark Ages. Russell Vought and his Project 2025. Sean Duffy.
- There are also Christian Zionists, who think Israel is important in fulfilling biblical prophecy. More of them than there are Jews, who the CZs think will convert or go to Hell. Franklin Graham, Ted Cruz, Huckabee.
- A key in these efforts is disdaining of education, knowledge, reason, and science. Attacks on universities as mortal threats to their Biblical worldviews. The Monkey trial, Falwell, Robertson, Dobson, homeschooling, parental rights, David Barton, Wallbuilders, religious ‘liberty’. Trump loves the poorly educated. Attacks on Ivy League schools by politicians who went to them. DOGE. Challenges to DEI. And similar tactics against scientific and research agencies, worse then ever under Trump. Perhaps the US following the path of the Islamic world, from the 8th to 14th centuries.
- There are some defenders of democracy. Bishop Budde. A group against Christian Nationalism. People are leaving churches. There’s an ongoing clash between Team Compassion and Team Vengeance, mirroring the dualism within human nature.
- In conclusion the author recalls Washington and Thomas Paine, E.O. Wilson and his idea of eusociality: self-interest v. community. We need a new civic patriotism.
Full Notes
Introduction, p1
Author recalls Jan 6, 2021. At the time he shared a rowhouse with two other representatives. Biden was about to be confirmed. Trump was encouraging ‘stop the steal’ rallies, which invoked extreme religion. A “Jericho March”. Author grew up a devout Christian, lost religion in college, and so on. Found Humanism. Came out in 2017 as a nonbeliever in Congress. By 2021 he became much concerned about Christian nationalism. It won Trump the presidency. Disconnected from reality, 4.3. Right Wing Watch. Eventually Jan. 6th. Paula White. Adam Kinzinger, R-IL, saw it too. Shofars. Staging Jericho – the end of that story involved slaughtering everyone and burning the city to the ground. … the rioters breach the Capitol. Trump said nothing. … In the aftermath, Trump was obviously the proximate cause. But it exposed the Christian nationalist movement. Sinclair Lewis quote: “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” Not enough people noticed. That’s what this book is about. Now it’s become dangerous – what the founders etc fought to protect us from, 12.2.
Outline of book chapters… (revisit these for key points). How eventually we can overcome it.
Ch1, Not Your Parents’ Culture War, p17
The term was seldom used before the 2000s. Michelle Goldberg in 2007 sounded an early alarm. Then two books in 2020. Now, 30% of Americans and 53% of Republicans embrace the movement. The story begins in the 1980s, in Santa Barbara. Protests against the Vietnam war a decade earlier. Author arrived there in 1982. Reagan had already aligned with the Moral Majority. Author had a religious studies professor named Walter Capps. Who brought in famous guests, like Jerry Falwell, a segregationist. He demanded purity. Capps pointed out how the new religious right was a political machine. Falwell was a product of post-Vietnam disillusionment. He was cavalier about global destruction. At least they weren’t trying to overthrow democracy. Falwell even let Ted Kennedy speak at Liberty University. But Capps’s prediction was right: the Moral Majority disbanded in the 90s. Because the Cold War abruptly ended. Pat Buchanan tried to revive the old magic, but failed. Church attendance fell in the 90s. The religious right looked for new enemies: liberal culture, the government. Guns became sacred. Ruby Ridge, Waco. Christians took these events as proofs of their point. Patriot Movement. Timothy McVeigh. More groups emerged, with different names. C. Peter Wagner launched the New Apostolic Reformation, NAR. Spiritual warfare. Familiar enemies, 27t. They saw Obama’s election as a siege from within. Colonel V. Doner was part of the movement until 9/11 he realized religious absolutism in the Christian movement too. He wrote a book called Christian Jihad. So: is involvement of religion in politics good or bad? It depends.
Ch2, Breaking Faith, p30
Author recalls his first day in Congress, how family photos were taken with the assumption that someone would hold a bible. He let himself be persuaded. Religion is woven through Congress, with prayers and Bible studies and so on. Author tried avoiding the subject. Then in 2017 his mother died, and Trump became president. The latter in large part because of Christian nationalism. And he had a secret weapon: prophets. Paula White. She did what Cruz, Huckabee, and Ben Carson couldn’t. Lance Walnau. Others followed their lead. Once in office Trump kept them. And filled his cabinet with religious extremists, 35t. Who would point to the Bible to justify their retrogressive policies. But the prophets were the tipping point. Dutch Sheets.
Author was raised in an offshoot of Mormonism. He was even summoned to the priesthood. Speaking in tongues. This can be dangerous; example of a basketball teammate who murdered a family. Details. Blood sacrifice. (They always know what God wants.) 1989. All the papers. Another example, 1990. History is full of such events, p39. Which is why author was so alarmed by the prophets in Trump’s orbit. As Christian nationalists took over the Republican party, Democrats didn’t seem to notice or care. Which led to author’s coming out, despite advice not to. He talked with Nancy Pelosi. And the house chaplain. And then had Michelle Boorstein run a story about him. But then he needed to understand the threat of MAGA Christian nationalism more deeply.
Ch3, Three Roads to Theocracy, p44
He visits a Christian scholar, Dr. Matthew Taylor, who investigated the insurrection. He’s become the go-to religious expert on MAGA Christian nationalism. They discussed three ascendant subcultures that power the movement. The NAR, the Rad Trads, and the Theo Bros. They all believe God has chosen Christians to seize and hold power. [[ i.e. they’re fascists ]] The majority of Christians are not in these groups…
The Rad Trads of Catholicism, p46. Radical traditional Catholics. Example of Harrison Buttker, 46b. Father Charles Coughlin, who defended the Nazis. Rad Trads were triggered by the Vatican II reforms in the 1960s. Sympathizers include Vance, Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, Candace Owens, et al. The hold a Catholic Identity Conference every year. Remnant Press. They cheer on the end of democracy. Extensive online reach. Nick Fuentes, and Groypers. Charlie Kirk was insufficiently reactionary, the Kirk’s murderer reportedly trafficked in Groyper memes. There are dozens of others who don’t get the publicity. The FBI noticed them, but their plan was leaked and withdrawn by backlash. They’re on the rise.
Reconstructionist Theo Bros, p52. Hegseth and his tattoos. His template for life is the Crusades. Against the collapse of civilization. He hosts Christian prayer and worship services in the Pentagon. May 21, 2025. Entirely Christian. Inspired by the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, CREC. (Note Trivium and Quadrivium, 54m) Tennessee. CREC began in 1998, now has 160 churches or ‘kirks’. Nicknamed Theo Bros, as in ‘theological bros.’ Very tribal, Biblical literal. Based on Reconstructionism in the 50s and 60s with Fallwell and Graham. First principle is Christian dominion in all dimensions of life. Three spheres of government, all led by men. Civil government, church government, family government. In which husbands and fathers rule. Etc; leading to a golden age after which Christ will return. Homeschooling. That earlier movement fell apart. Except for Doug Wilson, who rebranded it as CREC. Moscow, Idaho. Wilson debated Christopher Hitchens, getting a boost. Slavery fine, death to gays, etc, 57b. Soft-pedaled. Wants the US to be officially Christian. Example follower is Joel Webbon [[ whom I’ve linked about ]]. And Stephen Wolfe. CREC has inroads in Silicon Valley. Similarities. Marc Andreessen and his New Funding project, to establish private enclaves. At least CREC has no connection to January 6th; it’s too low-key for that. They still want to replace democracy with white nationalist theocracy. And they still promote Christian schools and homeschooling. The whole movement is quite sophisticated.
The New Apostolic Reformation, p62. Dutch Sheets send out a prophecy five days before Jan 6th. God is coming. Perhaps the most influential operative in the entire movement. NAR is about charismatic worship with revelations, miraculous healings, and speaking in tongues. God and Satan in a cosmic battle. They summon angels and slay demons. They have a Seven Mountains Mandate. 64b. A battle plan. And they want it fast. They anticipate the end times. (Though not the rapture.) Anti-democratic, of course. They see demons everywhere. They plan to destroy a long list of false religions. They echo the Salem witch trials. Perhaps 3 million members now. But only loosely organized, a sign of danger. They supported George W. Bush in the 2000 election, and claimed credit for his election. When Trump lost in 2020, they were unfazed, holding huge rallies across the nation. Including Jan 6th. … And the 2025 killing of a State Representative and her husband. Now at least twenty congress people fly the Appeal to Heaven flag, and Mike Johnson collaborated with them for a National Gathering. …
Ch4, Founding Fiction, p73
Trump’s executive order in May 2025 had a deep agenda: against church-state separation and for Christian nationalism. It grows from their revisionist history about America’s founding and founders. Consider the Museum of the Bible… The executive order was the idea of Texas Lt Governor Dan Patrick. Also involved: a beauty queen runner-up, and Dr. Phil. Claims that the Declaration and the Bible were consistent. Consider that claim in detail. P77ff, e.g. one was about rebellion, the other about obedience. Yet the Declaration does include four quasi-religious references, 79t. They were hardly support for the Judeo-Christian religion; details. The Constitution, even less so. Drafted by James Madison, even less accommodating than Jefferson about religion. He was emphatic that religion and government remain separate. You can look at Roger Williams too, a Puritan dissenter. None of this supports the Christian nation founding myth. The Christian nationalists swap out Jefferson for a counterfeit, as done by David Barton. Whose book The Jefferson Lies was debunked and pulled by its publisher. Yet he’s still popular with the Christian nationalists. Cruz, Huckabee. Mike Johnson. Quoting a Jefferson prayer that he never wrote. Why are these myths so important to them? To erode the church-state separation. And to outflank those who don’t believe their myths. A code to signal belonging. Their movement is against what they see as an existential threat. A justification for them to conquer the government.
So then they came up with a ‘naked public square’ myth. That Christians are being marginalized. Now it means religious pluralism is persecution. Despite the fact that Christians dominate every corner of government, education, and culture. Saturated. There were never any bans, no one is forced to worship in secret. And so on, p88. Now Christians want to *invade* public spaces. To impose Christian ‘truth’ society-wide. To actively promote religion. They’re peddling fake history and myths. It’s true enough that religion has always been a part of public life. Blasphemy was a criminal offense. Such laws were eventually struck down, by 1952. There were state-imposed religious tests for public office. Some are still on the books. The separation of church and state has never been absolute. Faith will always have voices in public life. That’s fine as long as the government is neutral. That’s not what Christian nationalists want.
Ch5, Christian Privilege, p94
Republican disapproval for Jan 6th quickly dried up. Liz Cheney was an exception. She broke ranks. Then a bipartisan commission to investigate the insurrection was derailed. Cheney and Adam Kinzinger were out of politics within a year. A select committee did report. But Christian nationalism was removed from the report, at Cheney’s demand. 97t: “America’s default deference to all things Christian clouds our judgment, obscures the truth… and makes us less safe.”
There was lots of evidence. In the hearings, and on social media. Christian faith groups noticed too. Yet the report didn’t mention religion at all. 98b. Details. 99. Drafters had been told not to mention religion. Liz Cheney vetoed the idea. It would distract from Trump and enrage ordinary Christians. And they were rushed. None of this was public.
Christian privilege is the default resistance to criticizing anything “Christian.” Otherwise Americans are good at seeing danger in “the other.” But when it’s Christian, to say anything is to be branded anti-Christian. Example of a Soviet spy left alone because he was a devout Catholic. While anything Muslim is pursued, despite the numbers. Yet Americans won’t call the Jan 6th rioters terrorists. They carried Bibles! And there are Patriot Churches who exalt Trump along with God and Jesus. Such churches are subsidized through their tax-exempt status.
And Democrats? None of them advocate replacing the government with religion. Democrats are more religiously diverse. Example of Hakeem Jeffries, a Christian who doesn’t sermonize or proselytize. Still, there are issues with privilege. Failure to see the threats. Support for Bible studies. Not noticing how things have changed since the 1980s. Even a sense that Democrats vilify people of faith. Democrats need to reckon with Christian privilege.
Ch6, The Shadow Theocracy, p113
This is people and groups who aim to embed their religion into the government. Prayer meetings, Bible studies, etc. Congressmen flying “Appeal to Heaven” flags. As promoted by Dutch Sheets. The idea that Washington flew the flag is a myth. And it was inspired by John Locke. Resurrected by Sheets in 2015. Alito flew it. Mike Johnson. Details on his bg. God spoke to him, he says. Leans hard on David Barton. He claims his worldview is the Bible. Whatever that means. In any case, he’s a Christian extremist. Examples p118. Not as bad as Lauren Boebert. They both reject church/state separation. He would outlaw abortion, and gay sex, among other things. Divorce. He and the ADF want to revive the moral standards of the Dark Ages. He promotes David Barton. Both would eliminate church/state separation. Prayer Breakfasts. In 2024 the breakfast was televised. Other events. Johnson has his own little chapel.
Then there are the “ministries.” Holding Bible studies in plain view. Capitol Ministries. Led by Ralph Drollinger, former basketball player. He began in California but became so extreme he became a pariah. He ended up in DC and supported Trump. His influence justified family separation tactics. He said Covid was God’s punishment for homosexuality. Again he became a pariah. But he reappeared with Trump in 2025. He uses the bible to justify a right-wing agenda. And there are other ministries. Jim Garlow, Sean Feucht, Tony Perkins. And The Family.
And Russell Vought. Project 2025. Sample plans. And in the military. Examples. Sean Duffy. They do what they do because they can. What is their endgame? A full authoritarian takeover? Next: a short visit to Israel.
Ch7, Christian Zionism, p133
In August 2025 Mike Johnson visited an Israeli settlement and renounced decades of US policy in favor of the Bible. He invoked Judea and Samaria, as promised to the Jews. Jerusalem, the portal to Heaven. The Temples. Jews, Muslims, Christians all place different meanings here. Different mythologies. Israel is the epicenter of apocalyptic fantasies for millions of Christian Zionists, who believe that modern Israel is fulfilling biblical prophecy that will lead to the second coming of Christ.
First, about a woman, an ultra-orthodox Haredi matriarch with 124 living descendants. She lives in a community totally devoted to Torah law. The woman is the author’s sister. A convert from Christianity. Examples of her zealousness. What if someone like her steered public policy? How to reconcile that group with Modern Israel? In parallel are the Christian Zionists and other American Christians. The former support Trump. CZ is also called dispensationalism. Goes back to the 19th century, includes Hal Lindsey’s 1970 book (The Late Great Planet Earth), published at a time of heightened anxiety about nuclear war. Of course his predictions never came true, so as so many others before his had not. But Lindsey’s strategy became popular. Later were the Left Behind novels.
So there are 50 million Christian Zionists, and 15 million Jews worldwide. The former are all about setting up God’s end-times drama. That the Jews will convert or go to Hell. While the pro-Israel lobby in America is interested in political goals. The opposite of the Christian Zionist group. Franklin Graham. Genesis: it belongs to the Jews (and will belong to the Christians). Dutch Sheets goes further. Aligning with CZ is the prosperity gospel. What’s missing in these movements is any concern about Israel as a democratic state. Jews are just tools to bring about the second coming. CZs support Israel’s most extreme positions. Ted Cruz. Even when challenged by Tucker Carlson. The bible says it, I believe it. Huckabee and others, too. From the river to the sea. Netanyahu humors them. Most American rejects CZ extremism. The Rad Trad Catholics and the Theo Bros reject CZ theology. Schisms are emerging. The tide may be turning against CZ. And the idea of letting ancient Bible verses steer modern foreign policy. Next: Christian nationalists’ war on secular education.
Ch8, The Dumbing of America, p149
In 2021 a newly elected congresswoman Mary Miller quoted Hitler: whoever has the youth has the future. Furor. In 2025 the same woman got really upset when a man in a turban gave a prayer in the House. She didn’t apologize. Also, she thinks climate change is a sham. She belongs to a church in the “Restorationalist” movement, that promotes homeschooling, disdains public education, and so on. Yet she won reelection. She would have been unacceptable a generation earlier: conspiracism, religious absolutism, anti-intellectualism. 151m. Biblical decree instead of critical thought. It’s a war on knowledge, reason, and science: the dumbing of America. The abdication of thinking for oneself, as Jefferson said. Yes, Jefferson embodied contradictions. But he promoted public education. Including universities. Clashing with religious absolutists, who rejected any scientific advance (like electricity) that threatened biblical precepts. Preferring holy water to lightning rods. Smallpox inoculations. Jefferson said much against them. And he prevailed, eventually, leading to US dominance by the 20th century in science and medicine and higher education. Through numerous agencies, 154b. Especially NIH and NSF. Colleges and universities. All despite the people with narrow biblical worldviews.
Christian nationalists view such engines of progress as mortal threats. Elitist, globalist, conspiracies. Elevated by Trump. What set this in motion? For 200 years after the Protestant Reformation in 1517 came religious wars and then the Enlightenment and secular governments. Such as the American experiment. And it mostly worked. Except for the Christian fundamentalists. Thus the Monkey Trial of 1925. The Religious Right of the 1980s. Protests against civil rights and feminism. Birth of the culture wars. Falwell, Robertson, Dobson, homeschooling, parental rights. David Barton and Project Blitz. Wallbuilders. Religious liberty. Slow by steady encroachments into the public square. Ten Commandments. Conservative control over public education. PraegerU. Florida and Texas. Restrictions on higher education. Eliminate degree programs. MAGA’s crusade against the educated elite. Trump said “I love the poorly educated.” Politicians who attended Ivy League schools suddenly became hostile to them: Bannon, Vance, Cruz, DeSantis. Wokeism. In 2021 Vance declare universities as the enemy. Trump attacked them. The Supreme Court gave Trump immunity. So he launched attacks on universities and scientists. Cutting funding, launching investigations. DOGE. Challenging DEI. Going after ‘anti-Semitism’ at universities. Getting university presidents fired. Suspending international student visas. Taxes on endowments. Bans on international students.
Similar tactics were used against scientific and research agencies. Many projects just ended. Grants flagged for ideological compliance. Similar attacks have been made for years against studies that bother religious sensibilities. But under Trump they’re far worse. RFK at health. Gutting health and safety. False claims about vaccines and diseases. And climate science at NOAA. Loyalty tests were added. Trump cares only about support from the Christian nationalists. Recall Voltaire. It’s all about religion; they see modern knowledge as a threat. It’s also about psychology: rejection of evidence, conspiracy theories, misinformation, all about religious intolerance. Science denial corresponds overwhelmingly with religious belief. Only their faith can provide the truth. So of course science is a threat. This is why science must be defended. This all happened in the Islamic world too, from the 8th to 14th centuries. And so their civilization retreated. [[ Is the west descending into religious orthodoxy such as now exists in the Islamic world? ]] Even as climate change threatens. There’s another existential threat: pandemics. Thus the Doomsday Clock has moved forward. Note the 2025 book Science Under Siege, by Mann and Hotez. And recalling Sagan’s Demon-Haunted World. P170 quotes a famous passage from that book.
Ch9, Defenders of Democracy, p171
Recalling inauguration day, 2025. The cathedral used their own preacher, not one chosen by Trump. Bishop Budde. She addressed Trump directly, p173. She got much criticism. MAGA was outraged. Vonnegut foresaw this in his 2005 book. Moses vs Jesus. Many supported her, Budde. There’s a group called Christians Against Christian Nationalism, launched 2019. Amanda Tyler. Tim Alberta. Russell Moore. Note “cheap tribal marker” 177t. He notes the escalating bigotry of the CN movement. People are beginning to leave the churches. Author comments 178t: “This clash between Team Compassion and Team Vengeance for the soul of Christianity seems to mirror the dualism without human nature itself: our capacity for radical empathy, kindness, and grace on the one hand; and our competing drive for tribal identity and righteous domination on the other.”
Team Vengeance focuses on OT stories. Recall a 2025 David French column wondering why so many Christians are cruel. Rifts are appearing. Including between fundamentalist Catholics and Protestants. Examples, between these various groups. All rebuking each other as heretics. Especially over Israel. Some explicitly reject religious freedom, 181t. But there’s progress. Examples. Including author’s own caucus. … The final problem is recognizing that we face a fascist threat. Recall Gramsci, imprisoned by Mussolini. We must know we can win. But we must acknowledge the dangers.
Conclusion, p188
About George Washington and what actually happened at Valley Forge. He had Thomas Paine read to the troops. The American Crisis. And much later, Paine wrote The Age of Reason. The reaction is what we would now call Christian nationalism. They’ve been doing this ever since. Civil War, there was a proposed amendment to declare the US a Christian nation. Fortunately, we have the secular government the founders gave us. … Author recalls E.O. Wilson, and his key idea of eusociality (193.7): self-interest v community. As with Jesus, and in other religions. Those values will never go away. It’s our civilizational imperative. Have hope. A Thomas Paine memorial was authorized in 2022. And we need a new civic patriotism. We can all agree that our democracy remains the best system of government the world has ever seen. Paine: “the mind once enlightened cannot again become dark.”
