The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism

The Power Worshippers examines the Christian nationalist movement in America through investigative reporting and boots-on-the-ground research. Katherine Stewart tracks the movement's key figures, funding networks, and political strategies over several years of firsthand observation and documentation. Stewart travels across the United States to attend conferences, church services, and political rallies while interviewing participants at all levels of the movement. Her investigation reveals the infrastructure and coordination behind efforts to reshape American democracy through a marriage of religious and political power. The book maps the movement's expansion from local churches to national policy, including its influence on education, courts, and legislation. Stewart analyzes how Christian nationalism operates as a political ideology rather than a religious movement, with implications for voting rights, healthcare, education, and foreign policy. This work contributes to ongoing discussions about the relationship between religion and democracy in America. It raises questions about the boundaries between church and state while documenting a significant force in contemporary U.S. politics.

Readers describe this as a detailed investigation into Christian nationalism's political influence, backed by extensive research and interviews. What readers liked: - Clear documentation of financial networks and political strategies - Personal accounts from the author's firsthand reporting - Connection of historical events to current politics - Specific examples of how religious organizations influence legislation What readers disliked: - Some readers found the tone hostile toward Christianity in general - Several noted repetitive sections - A few questioned the author's objectivity - Some wanted more solutions or counter-strategies Review scores: Goodreads: 4.26/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (1,100+ ratings) Sample reader quotes: "Meticulously researched but reads like an engaging story" - Goodreads reviewer "Too focused on worst-case scenarios" - Amazon reviewer "Important but uncomfortable read" - LibraryThing reviewer "Changed how I view the relationship between religion and politics" - Goodreads reviewer

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🔍 Author Katherine Stewart spent over a decade investigating the Christian nationalist movement, attending their conferences, meetings, and rallies across five continents. ⚖️ The book reveals how the Christian nationalist movement has reframed the abortion debate from a medical/moral issue to a strategy for acquiring judicial power and political influence. 💰 The movement Stewart describes has created vast funding networks through the exploitation of church-based tax advantages and "dark money" channels. 🏛️ Many of the movement's key figures openly reject the principle of church-state separation, arguing instead that it's a myth created by modern courts. 📚 The book draws connections between American Christian nationalism and similar movements worldwide, including in Russia, Hungary, and Brazil, showing how they share tactics and resources.