Wild Faith, Talia Lavin
Wild Faith, Talia Lavin
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Wild Faith
How the Christian Right Is Taking Over America

Author: Talia Lavin

Narrator: Talia Lavin

Unabridged: 9 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Legacy Lit

Published: 10/15/2024


Synopsis

The acclaimed author of Culture Warlords investigates the rise of the Christian Right over the last half-century that lays out the grim vision evangelicals are enforcing 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 cunning political force in America for more than half a century, has never been more powerful than it is right now—it propelled Donald Trump to power, and it won’t stop until it’s refashioned America in its own image.

In Wild Faith, critically acclaimed author Talia Lavin goes deep into what motivates the Christian Right, from its segregationist past to a future riddled with apocalyptic ideology.

Using primary sources and firsthand accounts, Lavin introduces you to “deliverance ministers” who carry out exorcisms by the hundreds; 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.

Along the way, she explores 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 political benefit.

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. In Wild Faith, Lavin fearlessly confronts whether our democracy can survive an organized, fervent theocratic movement, one that seeks to impose its religious beliefs on American citizens.

About Talia Lavin

Talia Lavin is a freelance writer who has had bylines in the New Yorker, the New Republic, the New York Times Book Review, the Washington Post, the Village Voice, and more. Profoundly anti-racist and a nifty digital native, Lavin possess the online skills needed to go behind the scenes of the digital white supremacist movement (even if that does mean becoming the frequent target of extremist trolls and Fox News staff). She lives in New York City.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mahrens on November 27, 2024

I agree with Lavin's thesis, but didn't really enjoy her telling of it. I wish, instead of purple philosophizing, she would have focused more on facts and the weaving of them into a more coherent narrative. I get more information watching an episode of Fundie Fridays on YouTube... Not that that's a......more

Goodreads review by Gemma on November 17, 2024

The Christian right having its tendrils wrapped around all areas of public life in America is frightening. I wasn’t prepared for the brutal testimonies of child abuse, particularly from survivors of extreme evangelicalism whose parents could buy weapons from specialised shops to let them beat their......more

Goodreads review by Natalie on January 19, 2025

This is very well-trod ground but the way it is written is quite clever and even managed to make me laugh even though it is all dark. And the child abuse chapter is SO important and often missing in other books in favor of focusing on the explicitly political. Only lost a star because she really sho......more

Goodreads review by Naomi on February 04, 2025

The Christian Right is a terrifying group determined to turn America into a theocracy. Most of my lifetime the architects of this plan have been amassing power and turning seemingly benign phrases like “pro life” and “religious liberty” and “parental rights” into gaslighting tools to lull the rest o......more


Quotes

“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

“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 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'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