Unholy

Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump

By: Sarah Posner

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 12 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's Summary

“In terrifying detail, Unholy illustrates how a vast network of white Christian nationalists plotted the authoritarian takeover of the American democratic system. There is no more timely book than this one.” (Janet Reitman, author of Inside Scientology) 

Why did so many evangelicals turn out to vote for Donald Trump, a serial philanderer with questionable conservative credentials who seems to defy Christian values with his every utterance? To a reporter like Sarah Posner, who has been covering the religious right for decades, the answer turns out to be far more intuitive than one might think.

In this taut inquiry, Posner digs deep into the radical history of the religious right to reveal how issues of race and xenophobia have always been at the movement’s core, and how religion often cloaked anxieties about perceived threats to a white, Christian America. Fueled by an antidemocratic impulse, and united by this narrative of reverse victimization, the religious right and the alt-right support a common agenda – and are actively using the erosion of democratic norms to roll back civil rights advances, stock the judiciary with hard-right judges, defang and deregulate federal agencies, and undermine the credibility of the free press. 

Increasingly, this formidable bloc is also forging ties with European far right groups, giving momentum to a truly global movement. Revelatory and engrossing, Unholy offers a deeper understanding of the ideological underpinnings and forces influencing the course of Republican politics. This is a book that must be listened to by anyone who cares about the future of American democracy. 

©2020 Sarah Posner (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

“A meticulous deconstruction of the Christian right's long, slow infiltration of Republican politics. Sarah Posner has been writing on this subject for years, and it shows. Before Donald Trump, it was easy to claim the Christian right lacked the power it had during the 1980s; Posner shows that this analysis was dead wrong.” (Janet Reitman, contributing writer, The New York Times Magazine, and author of Inside Scientology: The Story of America’s Most Secretive Religion)

"Sarah Posner reveals, with clarity and without hyperbole, the unholy alliance between Donald Trump and white evangelicals in this country. That relationship is not a transactional one, as so many would have us believe. Trump has all the attributes of the televangelists who exert so much influence in American Christendom. He reflects, in his demeanor and in his policies, what they hold dear. Reading Unholy unsettles you and shows that what ails this country goes way beyond the current occupant in the White House. This book is a must-read for anyone who claims to be Christian and for anyone who is concerned about our democracy." (Eddie S. Glaude Jr., author of Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own) 

"Unholy explains how moralizing evangelicals fell in love with one of the most outwardly immoral presidents in modern American history. Religion reporter Sarah Posner makes bold claims, but she brings receipts. As a Christian, I found this book far more disturbing and damning than I expected. We ignore it at our collective peril." (Jonathan Merritt, author of Learning to Speak God from Scratch and contributing writer for The Atlantic)  

How We Got Here

This is a really good, in depth, look at the seven decades long march to the sh*tshow we have today. If you think that the radical Christian right just started in the 90s with Ralph Reed and the anti-Clinton movement...you are in for a surprise.

This is a slog that had been taking place for seven decades and is fueled by the White Evangelical (White Nationalists) that embraces religious purity and a renunciation of everything that is Western Liberal Democracy. In their minds, democracy is "dead" and must be replaced by their religious doctrines.

The entire administration has been taken over by these religious ideologues. Drumpf is nothing more than a puppet for the radical religious right and their desire to turn America into an authoritarian state based on "Judaeo-Christian" values.

Highly recommended and not utterly surprising. The current protests of BLM has these people crapping their pants right now. To see large, multi-racial protests in all 50 states with a huge plurality of the population supporting reforms at every level is a complete slap in the face to these out-dated, racist POS views.

Falsity Over Truism

Unholy, Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump, written by Sarah Posner, narrated Cassandra Campbell. In its essence, this book pours out fact after fact after fact – tons of information or episodes of how radical evangelist worshipers, led by their sticky handed ministers, create the myth of Trump and how the alternative right, nihilist provocateurs, agitators. fell in line to take advantage of Trump’s allure, using the technique of falsity over truisms.

Okay, here we go: taking Ms. Posner’s teachings, (and why would you not, as she is a masterful researcher and erudite compiler of her facts,) she leads us to the conclusion that most evangelists want to find a messiah. Now, why would that be? She seems to argue some evangelists can’t make peace with who they are and what they have versus their dreams. Rather than accepting happiness with what they have, they take a simplistic way out of their self-inflicted pains and lift themselves by degrading others. That other man there is so debased. Look at me I have/am so much more than him and thus I am higher in the chain of life. Trump then became a prop, for their raising themselves as opposed to others. Mexican rapists are coming, and we will not allow it. To give their perspective depth, they made him into a messenger of God sent to support their fantasy of their needing to be better than the “others.” They conjured up the putrid concept that yes, he is scum, but who are we to deny that God couldn’t achieve his goals by working through a crustacean; a bottom feeder. It sounded like a good argument at first and then I wondered why God needed to work through a habitual liar. Couldn’t he work with the truth?

That’s how the book begins and ends (well almost ends) with the Trump attachment to European and Brazilian demigods. Dictators. People who take away from their societies the things Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, and more put into our Constitution that made us the shinning spot on the hill. While they steal our freedoms, they denounce the left (whoever that may be) for wanting to take away our freedoms.

Far too many facts poured into our mind to make this an enjoyable read. Though, if you want to understand how Trump got here, this is a brilliant study.

An Evangelicals Opinion

I am a socially conservative compassionate Christian, who did vote against Trump because of the evil that I saw in Trumpism. I also was a History major in college, and I can say that this book is sound on its history. Many Christians are ignorant of the white supremacist roots of the Christian Right. Some of us, though we may be few, are seeking to expose this, and also the fallacy that Christian Nationalism represents, not only the ideology, but the actual history. Rest assured, the Jesus I know, the one who was born poor, the one who befriended the outcast and foreigner, would have no affinity to any of this, and His true followers recognize this and will not tolerate it.

Resourceful

This book provides insight into the interworking of the conservative church and republican politics. The history of the evangelical movement is eye opening, yet not surprising. Having been on the receiving end of many of the ideas and “fundamental Christian values” today it is even more imperative that people like me learn more about the people who are given platforms to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and teach human values. As a born again believer discernment of the truth is one of the most important assets available to me. If we are to lift up Christ we cannot cast down any person regardless of who we think they may be.

Wow...now I get it

I couldn’t understand how a Christian organization could possibly condone, much less support, a guy of such low morales like Trump.
They really don’t need him for a morale compass, but rather his strong arm stupidity. They justified him to be a baby Christian ...just learning how to be a good boy that’s how they can embrace him and feel good about it. They are also aligned with white supremacy. Want just a white America.
America, we have problem and it’s bigger than Trump. Great book thank you for your in-depth research and final product.

Excellent, excellent excellent

Great writing, brilliantly researched, honest and to the point. Thank you Sarah Posner for this very revealing book

eye opener for those confused by Trumps presidency

The Rosetta stone to understanding Trump's cryptic and often ridiculous utterings and how he got elected. Terrifying explanations to his foreign policy moves. None of which are random or miscalculations.

Very Eye Opening!!

A must read for anyone who cares for the future of this country. She explains everything very clear. This book is very informative on where the Christian Nationalist movement is headed and the damage it’s done and is currently doing at record speeds.

Chilling and insightful

If you have any concern for where our country is headed, this is a must read!
Too many times I was thinking that the alt right and the Christian Right are creating Gilead, Margaret Atwood's dystopian fictional country that the US is turned into after it is overthrown in The Handmaid's Take.

A Must Listen

WOW...is all I can say! Unbelievable, I equate the Evangelicals as a cult. How can they call themselves Christians? They turn a blind eye on all the corruption for their political agenda, especially in the Trump administration.