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Kingdom of Rage: The Rise of Christian Extremism and the Path Back to Peace
The greatest ideologically motivated violent threat to American democracy is a Church that has lost its soul.
How did a Church that purports to follow the teachings of Jesus - the Prince of Peace - become a breeding ground for violent extremism?
When Elizabeth Neumann began her anti-terrorism career as part of President George W. Bush’s Homeland Security Counsel in the wake of the September 11 attacks, she expected to spend her life protecting her country from the threat of global terrorism.
But as her career evolved, she began to perceive that the greatest threat to American security came not from religious fundamentalists in Afghanistan or Iraq but from white nationalists and radicalized religious fundamentalists within the very institution that was closest to her heart – the American evangelical church. And she began to sound the alarm, raising her concerns to anyone in government who would listen, including testifying before Congress in February of 2020. At that time, Neumann warned that anti-Semitic and white supremacist terrorism was a transnational threat that was building to the doorstep of another major attack. Shortly after her testimony, she resigned from her role as Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism and Threat Prevention in protest of what she believed was then-President Trump’s failure of leadership and his stoking of the hatred, anger, and division from which she had dedicated her life to protecting her country.
Her worst fears came true when she witnessed the attack on the capital on January 6, 2021.
In Kingdom of Rage , Neumann explores the forces within American society that have encouraged the radicalization of white supremacist, anti-government and other far-right terrorists by co-opting Christian symbols and culture and perverting the faith’s teachings. While Neumann offers decades of insights into the role government policies can play to prevent further bloodshed, she believes real change must come from the within the Christian church. She shines a bright light on the responsibility of ordinary Americans – and particularly American Christians – to work within their families and their communities to counteract the narrative of victimization and marginalization within American evangelicalism. Her goal for this book is not only to sound a warning about one of the greatest threats to our security but to rescue the Church from the forces that will, if left unchecked, destroy it – culturally, morally, and ultimately quite literally. This is a book for anyone who wants to understand the unholy marriage of right-wing politics and Christian exceptionalism in America and who wants to be a part of reversing the current path towards division, hatred, violence and the ultimate undermining of both evangelical Christianity and American democracy.
How did a Church that purports to follow the teachings of Jesus - the Prince of Peace - become a breeding ground for violent extremism?
When Elizabeth Neumann began her anti-terrorism career as part of President George W. Bush’s Homeland Security Counsel in the wake of the September 11 attacks, she expected to spend her life protecting her country from the threat of global terrorism.
But as her career evolved, she began to perceive that the greatest threat to American security came not from religious fundamentalists in Afghanistan or Iraq but from white nationalists and radicalized religious fundamentalists within the very institution that was closest to her heart – the American evangelical church. And she began to sound the alarm, raising her concerns to anyone in government who would listen, including testifying before Congress in February of 2020. At that time, Neumann warned that anti-Semitic and white supremacist terrorism was a transnational threat that was building to the doorstep of another major attack. Shortly after her testimony, she resigned from her role as Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism and Threat Prevention in protest of what she believed was then-President Trump’s failure of leadership and his stoking of the hatred, anger, and division from which she had dedicated her life to protecting her country.
Her worst fears came true when she witnessed the attack on the capital on January 6, 2021.
In Kingdom of Rage , Neumann explores the forces within American society that have encouraged the radicalization of white supremacist, anti-government and other far-right terrorists by co-opting Christian symbols and culture and perverting the faith’s teachings. While Neumann offers decades of insights into the role government policies can play to prevent further bloodshed, she believes real change must come from the within the Christian church. She shines a bright light on the responsibility of ordinary Americans – and particularly American Christians – to work within their families and their communities to counteract the narrative of victimization and marginalization within American evangelicalism. Her goal for this book is not only to sound a warning about one of the greatest threats to our security but to rescue the Church from the forces that will, if left unchecked, destroy it – culturally, morally, and ultimately quite literally. This is a book for anyone who wants to understand the unholy marriage of right-wing politics and Christian exceptionalism in America and who wants to be a part of reversing the current path towards division, hatred, violence and the ultimate undermining of both evangelical Christianity and American democracy.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published April 23, 2024
About the author
Elizabeth Neumann
1 book22 followersElizabeth Neumann served as the Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism and Threat Prevention at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Neumann is an ABC News contributor and the chief strategy officer at Moonshot. She is based in the Denver, CO area.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
May 8, 2024
American democracy won’t survive if Trump is re-elected. He is an existential threat to all values that I hold dear. There is no middle ground, there is no ‘both sides,’ the country’s democratic values are dependent on that truth. Trump is a monster and white evangelical Christian nationalist are enabling his anti-democratic (fascist) beliefs.
White evangelical Christianity is not the answer; it is the problem. The author uses a no true Scotsman fallacy against Christians who don’t believe in her special version of Jesus since to her they aren’t ‘true’ Christians. She says probably over 50 times ‘Jesus said’. How does she know what Jesus said? The way to fight Trump and his MAGA morons is not to quote a different version of Christ and claim you have the truth while claiming the MAGA brigades must not be right, because after all it was the evangelicals in the first place that gave us this existential threat to American democracy.
The author is ignorant on history. I want to give one example that irritated me. Two paragraphs before she said that Americans fail at history, she gave a quote from Thucydides who she claimed was the ‘father of history.’ He is not. She meant Herodotus. No wonder Americans fail at history since they rely on superficial books such as this one for their sources.
Since she mentioned Thucydides, I want to use him for why this book just doesn’t understand how real the threat is to American democracy by MAGA and Trump. Thucydides portrayed Pericles as a defender of Athenian democracy and the crowd cheered him on, later Thucydides had a Tyrant manipulating the crowd to support tyranny. The point is Trump is our tyrant and the crowd is cheering him on, Thucydides gets today’s threat and he wrote over 2000 years ago. The threat is an existential threat to American democracy (and probably the world). I’m not being hyperbolic. All one need to do is read Trump’s own words. He is the Mussolini of our time. America will become like Putin’s Russia and no imaginary friend is going to save us. The author’s nuanced belief in Jesus is not going to save us against the madness of white Christian evangelicals and dividing them into six separate sub-groups as she does is only an exercise in obscurity accomplishing nothing.
The author fears CRT (critical race theory), wokeism, and mentioned Marxist taking over as real threats generated by Fox News (sic), though I’ll comment the author is no longer fearful of the Marxists as she once was. She thinks without her narrative concerning Jesus that nihilism is close at hand. The author recommends love going forward and her special flavor of Jesus to save us. Trump routinely tells his followers how much he loves them, and they shout it right back at him. Love without knowledge, compassion or kindness is foolhardy. The author recommends that the church members get themselves a gay friend named Bob and that will make them less hateful. I recommend they enter the 21st century and just learn to stop hating.
Trump is the problem. His enablers are the problem. White evangelical Christians and nationalist are the problem. Democracy is threatened and there is no coming back from another Trump presidency. The author is on my side, but her milquetoast Christian approach is dangerous and more evangelical Christianity is the problem not the solution, and one should just re-read Thucydides or Herodotus in lieu of Christ centric books like this one. Trump doesn’t care about Christians but manipulates his followers through fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Trump has told us what he plans to do, just take him as his word.
White evangelical Christianity is not the answer; it is the problem. The author uses a no true Scotsman fallacy against Christians who don’t believe in her special version of Jesus since to her they aren’t ‘true’ Christians. She says probably over 50 times ‘Jesus said’. How does she know what Jesus said? The way to fight Trump and his MAGA morons is not to quote a different version of Christ and claim you have the truth while claiming the MAGA brigades must not be right, because after all it was the evangelicals in the first place that gave us this existential threat to American democracy.
The author is ignorant on history. I want to give one example that irritated me. Two paragraphs before she said that Americans fail at history, she gave a quote from Thucydides who she claimed was the ‘father of history.’ He is not. She meant Herodotus. No wonder Americans fail at history since they rely on superficial books such as this one for their sources.
Since she mentioned Thucydides, I want to use him for why this book just doesn’t understand how real the threat is to American democracy by MAGA and Trump. Thucydides portrayed Pericles as a defender of Athenian democracy and the crowd cheered him on, later Thucydides had a Tyrant manipulating the crowd to support tyranny. The point is Trump is our tyrant and the crowd is cheering him on, Thucydides gets today’s threat and he wrote over 2000 years ago. The threat is an existential threat to American democracy (and probably the world). I’m not being hyperbolic. All one need to do is read Trump’s own words. He is the Mussolini of our time. America will become like Putin’s Russia and no imaginary friend is going to save us. The author’s nuanced belief in Jesus is not going to save us against the madness of white Christian evangelicals and dividing them into six separate sub-groups as she does is only an exercise in obscurity accomplishing nothing.
The author fears CRT (critical race theory), wokeism, and mentioned Marxist taking over as real threats generated by Fox News (sic), though I’ll comment the author is no longer fearful of the Marxists as she once was. She thinks without her narrative concerning Jesus that nihilism is close at hand. The author recommends love going forward and her special flavor of Jesus to save us. Trump routinely tells his followers how much he loves them, and they shout it right back at him. Love without knowledge, compassion or kindness is foolhardy. The author recommends that the church members get themselves a gay friend named Bob and that will make them less hateful. I recommend they enter the 21st century and just learn to stop hating.
Trump is the problem. His enablers are the problem. White evangelical Christians and nationalist are the problem. Democracy is threatened and there is no coming back from another Trump presidency. The author is on my side, but her milquetoast Christian approach is dangerous and more evangelical Christianity is the problem not the solution, and one should just re-read Thucydides or Herodotus in lieu of Christ centric books like this one. Trump doesn’t care about Christians but manipulates his followers through fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Trump has told us what he plans to do, just take him as his word.
March 16, 2024
In Elizabeth Neumann’s new book, Kingdom of Rage, Neumann explores the radicalization of certain groups controlling the narrative in today’s politics. She discusses how we got here as a society (specifically leading up to the attack on the capital in January of 2021), how this involves Christians and Christianity, and where we need to go from here.
It is very obvious from the beginning of this book that Neumann has done extensive research. Although I would have appreciated more of her own wording than so many quotes, especially in the first part, she was able to piece everything together from multiple sources into something very cohesive and educational. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half. I learned a lot and found the information fascinating.
Yet, after Neumann explains the why of everything, she switches gears and the book becomes almost like an editorial column. Yes, Neumann gets “preachy”, but I expected that from the title so I wasn’t bothered by it. In fact, she gave some great information from her experience and from her knowledge of the Bible and her faith. What I didn’t appreciate is how she started to say “I think” so much instead of just stating the point she wanted to make and giving examples. She also started writing “you” statements: “you should”, “you can”, “you are”. I don’t know if this is marketed as a self-help book, but it very much should be at least so the reader knows what to expect. If it isn’t, Neumann should have refrained from directly telling the reader what they should and should not do. I would have had much more respect for her an an author if she could have made her points without literally telling me what I should or should not do. It irked me so much, I felt like it was taking away from any credibility she had built up from the first half. Especially since she had an appendix! That is where I would expect to find all of her “I highly suggest” statements. In addition, she referenced PathtoPeace.com so much it became redundant. Again, something that should have been left for the appendix.
Overall, I appreciate what she was trying to do with this book. Our society would greatly benefit if more people were aware of a lot of this information. But, unfortunately, I believe the best parts of this book are lost because she was unable to express her ideas and thoughts in the second half assertively and with examples, and she felt the need to tell her readers what to do instead of show them. However, if this it’s considered a self-help book, that should be made very clear (which it’s not), and then I would argue that the first part of the book doesn’t work as well, as it is mostly an info dump. Finally, I would also point out that she makes a lot of statements about how to handle certain people and how to address these situations with children and teens as if she has a background in psychology of some sort, which as far as I have read, is not the case.
***Thank you NetGalley, Elizabeth Neumann, and Worthy Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.***
It is very obvious from the beginning of this book that Neumann has done extensive research. Although I would have appreciated more of her own wording than so many quotes, especially in the first part, she was able to piece everything together from multiple sources into something very cohesive and educational. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half. I learned a lot and found the information fascinating.
Yet, after Neumann explains the why of everything, she switches gears and the book becomes almost like an editorial column. Yes, Neumann gets “preachy”, but I expected that from the title so I wasn’t bothered by it. In fact, she gave some great information from her experience and from her knowledge of the Bible and her faith. What I didn’t appreciate is how she started to say “I think” so much instead of just stating the point she wanted to make and giving examples. She also started writing “you” statements: “you should”, “you can”, “you are”. I don’t know if this is marketed as a self-help book, but it very much should be at least so the reader knows what to expect. If it isn’t, Neumann should have refrained from directly telling the reader what they should and should not do. I would have had much more respect for her an an author if she could have made her points without literally telling me what I should or should not do. It irked me so much, I felt like it was taking away from any credibility she had built up from the first half. Especially since she had an appendix! That is where I would expect to find all of her “I highly suggest” statements. In addition, she referenced PathtoPeace.com so much it became redundant. Again, something that should have been left for the appendix.
Overall, I appreciate what she was trying to do with this book. Our society would greatly benefit if more people were aware of a lot of this information. But, unfortunately, I believe the best parts of this book are lost because she was unable to express her ideas and thoughts in the second half assertively and with examples, and she felt the need to tell her readers what to do instead of show them. However, if this it’s considered a self-help book, that should be made very clear (which it’s not), and then I would argue that the first part of the book doesn’t work as well, as it is mostly an info dump. Finally, I would also point out that she makes a lot of statements about how to handle certain people and how to address these situations with children and teens as if she has a background in psychology of some sort, which as far as I have read, is not the case.
***Thank you NetGalley, Elizabeth Neumann, and Worthy Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.***
April 22, 2024
This is not a quick, easy read by any measure. It is heavy, academic, and takes time to get through in a meaningful way. However- this is such a necessary book in such a turbulent time in politics, and I genuinely believe that this author can help change the minds of people who may have otherwise been radicalized. The author has a long resume of relevant experience in anti-terrorism work and has heavily researched the WHY behind the radicalized nature of many white evangelicals today. The author presents counter-measures in a non-biased, straightforward way that can be implemented into both individual and corporate life, and I would strongly recommend this read to anyone who is curious about anti-radicalist work, who has radicalized individuals in their life who they struggle to communicate with, or who may work with individuals/companies that deal with radicalized groups. I received an ARC copy of this book through NetGalley, and my opinions are uninfluenced and thoroughly my own. I look forward to seeing what the author does next.
February 13, 2024
"Kingdom of Rage" by Elizabeth Neumann is a well-intended exploration of the American Church and its descent into extremism. Well-researched and thoughtfully written, the book ultimately falls a bit flat. The author's deeply personal faith is in the periphery and she does not hide it but it feels like a great deal of that was left out as she documents the descent of the church. There are powerful suggestions on how to deal with those that have succumbed to the extremism and that's valuable. I appreciate that #netgalley and #worthypublishing allowed me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.
March 9, 2024
After reading the advance copy, this book is a must read. Kingdom of Rage is a deeply personal dive into the importance of untangling faith from politics.
Elizabeth is a Counterterrorism expert, who like many, jumped in to protect the Homeland after the 9/11 attacks. Her acumen spans serving in several Presidential administrations in the national security arena, which is purposefully politically neutral.
Beginning with a focus on preventing international terrorism, she recognized early that there was a rising threat of domestic extremism emerging from within the United States--sounding the alarm in Congressional hearings a year before January 6th.
Like many believers, she was especially alarmed by the volume of extremist and hateful rhetoric coming from within the evangelical church.
Refreshingly, this book is not a screed that levels hatred or diatribes against Christians or conservatives or liberals or those from other faiths. In fact, she takes on personal responsibility in reflecting and lamenting how she and others in the evangelical community have contributed to detracting from the major tenants of true faith in the Gospel.
Unlike many who have simply diagnosed problems, such as vulnerability to conspiracies, radicalization, and political defensiveness within the Christian community, she more closely examines not only the why and how to recognize these tendencies, but also offers a series of practical solutions to return to unity by embracing the core message of the Gospel and living it out in the local community.
If you are seeking to find the way back to peace, even in an increasingly polarized society and in the wake of relationships devastated by political beliefs, this book points the way, step-by-step, to the love of Jesus as the solution.
Elizabeth is a Counterterrorism expert, who like many, jumped in to protect the Homeland after the 9/11 attacks. Her acumen spans serving in several Presidential administrations in the national security arena, which is purposefully politically neutral.
Beginning with a focus on preventing international terrorism, she recognized early that there was a rising threat of domestic extremism emerging from within the United States--sounding the alarm in Congressional hearings a year before January 6th.
Like many believers, she was especially alarmed by the volume of extremist and hateful rhetoric coming from within the evangelical church.
Refreshingly, this book is not a screed that levels hatred or diatribes against Christians or conservatives or liberals or those from other faiths. In fact, she takes on personal responsibility in reflecting and lamenting how she and others in the evangelical community have contributed to detracting from the major tenants of true faith in the Gospel.
Unlike many who have simply diagnosed problems, such as vulnerability to conspiracies, radicalization, and political defensiveness within the Christian community, she more closely examines not only the why and how to recognize these tendencies, but also offers a series of practical solutions to return to unity by embracing the core message of the Gospel and living it out in the local community.
If you are seeking to find the way back to peace, even in an increasingly polarized society and in the wake of relationships devastated by political beliefs, this book points the way, step-by-step, to the love of Jesus as the solution.
August 10, 2024
Anyone who is like me and doesn't like what the Republican Party and Conservatives (and their constituents) have become will appreciate this work. Much can be said about this book, but I am thankful for it for voicing my concerns over how the political Right has become more extreme in its views and actions.
July 8, 2024
A Review of the Audiobook
Published by Worthy Books in 2024.
Read by Erin Bennett.
Duration: 8 hours, 38 minutes.
Unabridged.
Elizabeth Neumann worked for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the George W. Bush and Trump administrations.
During the Bush Administration, the work of the DHS centered around preventing attempts by foreign groups, usually Muslim-based, to commit acts of terrorism on the United States or on Americans abroad. She became an expert on why some Muslims were radicalizing (or self-radicalizing), the signs of what to look for, and things that can be done to prevent radicalization.
During the Trump Administration, she started seeing more and more reports about domestic terrorism, usually coming from self-radicalized ultra-conservatives who are encouraged by media. Two prime examples are the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter and the El Paso shooter. Both issued manifestos that quoted liberally from fringe MAGA Conservative theories, like the Great Replacement theory pushed by politicians like Donald Trump and media figures like Tucker Carlson. Carlson mentioned the theory more than 400 times on his show.
At first, Neumann thought this was a ridiculous notion. But, as she noticed changes in rhetoric at her own church and with old friends from a former church that she reconnected with, she decided to take a serious look.
What she saw were the exact same trends in some parts of the American Christian community that she had found in the radicalized Muslim community 10-12 years earlier and it mortified her. This was not the faith she knew. She recognized that thought as well - she had heard it so many times when Muslim terrorists were her main worry during the Bush Administration.
Neumann does a thorough job of explaining the process of radicalization and the dangers of flirting with radicalizing comments for political gain. She also demonstrates that "self-radicalization" is much easier with the rise of social media. People prone to radicalization can easily find an online community. They can also watch videos and read texts without interacting with another human being. While this section is thorough, it is often dry and clinical as well. It felt more like a textbook reading or a briefing rather than an engaging text.
Her recommendations section have a similar feel, making the book as a whole highly informative but not particularly engaging.
I rate this audiobook 3 stars out of 5.
Published by Worthy Books in 2024.
Read by Erin Bennett.
Duration: 8 hours, 38 minutes.
Unabridged.
Elizabeth Neumann worked for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the George W. Bush and Trump administrations.
During the Bush Administration, the work of the DHS centered around preventing attempts by foreign groups, usually Muslim-based, to commit acts of terrorism on the United States or on Americans abroad. She became an expert on why some Muslims were radicalizing (or self-radicalizing), the signs of what to look for, and things that can be done to prevent radicalization.
During the Trump Administration, she started seeing more and more reports about domestic terrorism, usually coming from self-radicalized ultra-conservatives who are encouraged by media. Two prime examples are the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter and the El Paso shooter. Both issued manifestos that quoted liberally from fringe MAGA Conservative theories, like the Great Replacement theory pushed by politicians like Donald Trump and media figures like Tucker Carlson. Carlson mentioned the theory more than 400 times on his show.
At first, Neumann thought this was a ridiculous notion. But, as she noticed changes in rhetoric at her own church and with old friends from a former church that she reconnected with, she decided to take a serious look.
What she saw were the exact same trends in some parts of the American Christian community that she had found in the radicalized Muslim community 10-12 years earlier and it mortified her. This was not the faith she knew. She recognized that thought as well - she had heard it so many times when Muslim terrorists were her main worry during the Bush Administration.
Neumann does a thorough job of explaining the process of radicalization and the dangers of flirting with radicalizing comments for political gain. She also demonstrates that "self-radicalization" is much easier with the rise of social media. People prone to radicalization can easily find an online community. They can also watch videos and read texts without interacting with another human being. While this section is thorough, it is often dry and clinical as well. It felt more like a textbook reading or a briefing rather than an engaging text.
Her recommendations section have a similar feel, making the book as a whole highly informative but not particularly engaging.
I rate this audiobook 3 stars out of 5.
May 3, 2024
Once again I have chosen to purchase a book a bit beyond my retirement budget after having seen the author discussing it on my favorite cable television channel. It turns out this deeply-reasoned, thoroughly annotated, and incisive investigation of the merging of evangelical religion with white power with the rise of religious extremism and far-right fanaticism and violence, makes this study truly priceless.
Neumann briefly describes her career with NHS and the investigation of terrorism up until the beginning of the COVID-19 shut-down in March of 2020. She and her husband, who also worked in the government, had already begun to realize that they could no longer continue to function in Trump’s version of the GOP. Although a change in her career path was already underway, of course the pandemic accelerated it. She explains that her first few months in the shutdown were devoted to deep prayer, reflection, caring for her family and seeking for hope and wisdom. However, for the author, as for so many of us, the ongoing stress of the disruption of their ordinary pattern of life, followed so quickly by the even greater trauma of the post-election events, was a genuine crisis point, and she quickly realized that the expected resilience and support offered by her faith was equally being short-circuited by the extremism of Christian Nationalism. Given her years of working with DHS on counterterrorism, she realized the extreme threat this level of immersion of churches in the MAGA movement and the ensuing radicalization of their congregations posed not only to our Republic, but also to the mission and purpose of Christianity itself.
Neumann remains firmly committed to her faith in Jesus, and her evangelical calling to share that faith with her world as Christ commanded. However, she insists on honoring the reality that God expects humans to continue to work to enhance the Kingdom of God as He commanded, not to revert to the idolatry of “patriotism and politics” with a narrow and fanatical commitment to “our country (or party) is always right” asserted to be God ordained regardless of how far it strays from basic Gospel principles of compassion and care for all, but most especially for the oppressed, marginalized, and castoffs. This book is deeply wise, completely authentic, and extremely heartfelt.
Neumann briefly describes her career with NHS and the investigation of terrorism up until the beginning of the COVID-19 shut-down in March of 2020. She and her husband, who also worked in the government, had already begun to realize that they could no longer continue to function in Trump’s version of the GOP. Although a change in her career path was already underway, of course the pandemic accelerated it. She explains that her first few months in the shutdown were devoted to deep prayer, reflection, caring for her family and seeking for hope and wisdom. However, for the author, as for so many of us, the ongoing stress of the disruption of their ordinary pattern of life, followed so quickly by the even greater trauma of the post-election events, was a genuine crisis point, and she quickly realized that the expected resilience and support offered by her faith was equally being short-circuited by the extremism of Christian Nationalism. Given her years of working with DHS on counterterrorism, she realized the extreme threat this level of immersion of churches in the MAGA movement and the ensuing radicalization of their congregations posed not only to our Republic, but also to the mission and purpose of Christianity itself.
Neumann remains firmly committed to her faith in Jesus, and her evangelical calling to share that faith with her world as Christ commanded. However, she insists on honoring the reality that God expects humans to continue to work to enhance the Kingdom of God as He commanded, not to revert to the idolatry of “patriotism and politics” with a narrow and fanatical commitment to “our country (or party) is always right” asserted to be God ordained regardless of how far it strays from basic Gospel principles of compassion and care for all, but most especially for the oppressed, marginalized, and castoffs. This book is deeply wise, completely authentic, and extremely heartfelt.
May 11, 2024
The greater enemy was never outside; it was always within.
Thus Elizabeth Neumann, a former Department of Homeland Security staff member at the White House in the Bush II and Trump administrations, concluded based on all the evidence DHS had obtained regarding the prospects of radicalism and terrorism.
In Kingdom of Rage: The Rise of Christian Extremism and the Path Back to Peace (galley received as part of book review program), Neumann describes her own experiences and what she has come to learn and understand about the significance of the reactionary turn among many white Evangelicals in America, and considers some of why that has taken place, and what she believes must be done to return to some kind of moderation.
Much of the honesty in the book is refreshing: it is good for participants in American conservatism writ large to recognize, confess, and lament how the movement allowed all kinds of incredibly right-wing reactionaries to cultivate influence and power, how much fearmongering has become part and parcel of discourse, and how conservative Christendom has gone along with said movements more than they have resisted it. The author grapples with how it was “her people” who became more reactionary, considers why she did not, and what it all means.
The way forward is not easy. The author hopes for opportunities for de-escalation, but confesses how difficult it can be to bring people back from the conspiracy theory laden ways of the reactionaries.
While I am sure said reactionaries would portray the author as liberal or as a RINO, she is anything but. As she herself noted, hope for those deep into the reactionary world is slim; but perhaps many of those more moderate who have not yet wished to grapple with the seriousness of the right-wing reactionary problem might be persuaded by what she has to say.
I can only hope there will be a moderating way forward which does not involve a lot of violence and conflict. Time shall tell.
Thus Elizabeth Neumann, a former Department of Homeland Security staff member at the White House in the Bush II and Trump administrations, concluded based on all the evidence DHS had obtained regarding the prospects of radicalism and terrorism.
In Kingdom of Rage: The Rise of Christian Extremism and the Path Back to Peace (galley received as part of book review program), Neumann describes her own experiences and what she has come to learn and understand about the significance of the reactionary turn among many white Evangelicals in America, and considers some of why that has taken place, and what she believes must be done to return to some kind of moderation.
Much of the honesty in the book is refreshing: it is good for participants in American conservatism writ large to recognize, confess, and lament how the movement allowed all kinds of incredibly right-wing reactionaries to cultivate influence and power, how much fearmongering has become part and parcel of discourse, and how conservative Christendom has gone along with said movements more than they have resisted it. The author grapples with how it was “her people” who became more reactionary, considers why she did not, and what it all means.
The way forward is not easy. The author hopes for opportunities for de-escalation, but confesses how difficult it can be to bring people back from the conspiracy theory laden ways of the reactionaries.
While I am sure said reactionaries would portray the author as liberal or as a RINO, she is anything but. As she herself noted, hope for those deep into the reactionary world is slim; but perhaps many of those more moderate who have not yet wished to grapple with the seriousness of the right-wing reactionary problem might be persuaded by what she has to say.
I can only hope there will be a moderating way forward which does not involve a lot of violence and conflict. Time shall tell.
July 24, 2024
This book, written by a former Trump administration counter-terrorism official, looks at Christian nationalism as a domestic security threat. The first half of the book looks at the threat, and contains long passages quoting from other books that look at the rise of extremism among segments of American Christians. This is OK, but I wish the author would focus more on explaining and defending her own views, as opposed to quoting others. It is also written in a breezy style that I didn't particularly care for. The author does describe her own experience and position working in the federal government countering threats. I found this part to be the most interesting. In the second half of the book, she describes some basic frameworks for terrorism and radicalization, and looks at how some Christians have gone down that path in recent years. I found this part much more interesting, although most of the discussion about radicalization was at a very simple, introductory level. She then follows up by discussing how her readers can intervene if their own loved ones are thought to be radicalizing. The book fills a niche, as the author introduces herself as a conservative evangelical Christian, who is nevertheless concerned about trends within her own religious tradition. I hope that she can have a positive impact on that tradition. I do wish she had included more detail, particularly in terms of looking at people as members of an in group and out group, as a major step in promoting extremism. Who does she see as the in group and who is the out group? I thought she could have included more clarity based on her own background. Still, the book is helpful in that it provides insight into domestic religious and political trends via the prism of counter-terrorism, and the story is told with sympathy for believers.
August 10, 2024
Gonna give this one two stars because I’m deeply torn on how to rate it. If it were purely my thoughts on the book qua book for an audience of me, it would be one star. The author is a conservative evangelical and I am… not that. I am actually quite anti-that on several different levels. Additionally the author is not hugely historically literate, praises a number of authors and figures whose politics I find repugnant and whose work I find simplistic and uninspiring when it’s not just plain incorrect, and is pretty no true Scotsman-y about Christianity. But on the other hand, and for the second star, I think this is actually a pretty useful book to have around. This is the book that you give to your conservative aunt who’s worried that your weird uncle is getting a little too into Alex Jones and co and starting to hoard guns, or that might help your parents who are really concerned about how much their evangelical church is getting hung up on Trump’s cult of personality but don’t have the vocabulary within their conservative bubble to talk about it. It’s a helpful thing to have for people who are conservative but aren’t gung-ho about Christian nationalism, the kinds of people who’d never pick up something like Jesus and John Wayne or anything else that smacks of progressive evangelicalism, but that will get similar points across in their own American evangelical language, meeting them where they are. And I think that’s an important thing to have in the current day. I may not be on board with the author’s ideology, but I’m even less on board with radicalised gun nuts trying to start a theocracy, and I’d take more people like this over more people like the J6 rioters.
August 25, 2024
You can also see this review, along with others I have written, at my blog, Mr. Book's Book Reviews.
Mr. Book just finished Kingdom Of Rage: The Rise Of Christian Extremism And The Path Back To Peace, by Elizabeth Neumann.
This is an infuriating book to read. The author, who had worked in the Department of Homeland Security under Trump, thinks she has the solution to the Christian nationalist that we have in the country. But, that is just replace it with a different version of Christian nationalism—one that conveniently lines up with her own personal religious views.
I lost track of how many times I knew I could just skip through paragraphs because all she was doing was given her version of what the Bible meant. OK, technically, I never started keeping track, but if I did, I would have lost track.
There was some good material, from time to time, in the book about Christian nationalist terrorism. But, she didn’t say anything in that material that wasn’t already said by others, with nearly all of them doing a better job than she did.
And the author isn’t advocating for her own version of religion, she’s just another right-wing nut who just wants her version of nuttiness.
I give this book an F. Goodreads requires grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an F equates to 1 star. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).
This review has been posted at my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews, and Goodreads.
Mr. Book finished reading this on August 25, 2024.
Mr. Book just finished Kingdom Of Rage: The Rise Of Christian Extremism And The Path Back To Peace, by Elizabeth Neumann.
This is an infuriating book to read. The author, who had worked in the Department of Homeland Security under Trump, thinks she has the solution to the Christian nationalist that we have in the country. But, that is just replace it with a different version of Christian nationalism—one that conveniently lines up with her own personal religious views.
I lost track of how many times I knew I could just skip through paragraphs because all she was doing was given her version of what the Bible meant. OK, technically, I never started keeping track, but if I did, I would have lost track.
There was some good material, from time to time, in the book about Christian nationalist terrorism. But, she didn’t say anything in that material that wasn’t already said by others, with nearly all of them doing a better job than she did.
And the author isn’t advocating for her own version of religion, she’s just another right-wing nut who just wants her version of nuttiness.
I give this book an F. Goodreads requires grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an F equates to 1 star. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).
This review has been posted at my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews, and Goodreads.
Mr. Book finished reading this on August 25, 2024.
April 5, 2024
To me this is a seminal book on one of the most tragic series of events in our current age. Ms. Neumann uses her extensive knowledge of terrorism and her unbending Christian faith to compose a complete picture of the issue of domestic terrorism and its causes and suggests a number of avenues that can be used to address the issue. She backs up the information she provides with study after study across the spectrum of politics and religion.
And she points directly at Christian churches for the attitudes and practices which have harbored the resentments that have led to the disinformation and radicalization of segments of the Republican party and individuals within their congregations. She admits that at times she was part of that problem within her church and had to take a look at her own beliefs to find the truth of her faith.
But she balances that with the knowledge that radicalism and terrorism come from both sides of the political spectrum and from all forms of faith.
To me, this book should be a part of the curriculum in every seminary, divinity study and police force. Pastors, parents, educators and social workers should read this as well. It not only has practical information for the general public to recognize and help defuse individual's radicalization but offers hope based in faith to aid in getting through the hardest moments.
I highly recommend this book.
And she points directly at Christian churches for the attitudes and practices which have harbored the resentments that have led to the disinformation and radicalization of segments of the Republican party and individuals within their congregations. She admits that at times she was part of that problem within her church and had to take a look at her own beliefs to find the truth of her faith.
But she balances that with the knowledge that radicalism and terrorism come from both sides of the political spectrum and from all forms of faith.
To me, this book should be a part of the curriculum in every seminary, divinity study and police force. Pastors, parents, educators and social workers should read this as well. It not only has practical information for the general public to recognize and help defuse individual's radicalization but offers hope based in faith to aid in getting through the hardest moments.
I highly recommend this book.
August 1, 2024
My main takeaway is that in this day and age, the path from ideological radicalization to physical violent extremism can happen so much more quickly now than in past decades due to our increased media intake.
Neumann suggests that journalism started to degrade in the 60s, giving airtime to unvetted gossip and conspiracies, leading to waves of distrust in government and increased distrust and hatred of groups seen as "other".
Neumann states that many Christians have jumped head over heels into the hatred train and are either unaware or careless of the disaster lying ahead. When we allow ourselves as Christians to be swept into idolizing hatred, we hold the Gospel, the ultimate message of peace, in contempt. This idolization doesn't necessarily frame itself explicitly, but instead, it leaks into our lives when we prioritize the consumption of rage-inducing media and ignorant infotainment stars.
I deeply appreciate the work that Neumann has done to use her expertise working in the DHS to bring us this book.
Neumann suggests that journalism started to degrade in the 60s, giving airtime to unvetted gossip and conspiracies, leading to waves of distrust in government and increased distrust and hatred of groups seen as "other".
Neumann states that many Christians have jumped head over heels into the hatred train and are either unaware or careless of the disaster lying ahead. When we allow ourselves as Christians to be swept into idolizing hatred, we hold the Gospel, the ultimate message of peace, in contempt. This idolization doesn't necessarily frame itself explicitly, but instead, it leaks into our lives when we prioritize the consumption of rage-inducing media and ignorant infotainment stars.
I deeply appreciate the work that Neumann has done to use her expertise working in the DHS to bring us this book.
May 31, 2024
While this is not a genre of book that I normally would read, after receiving this book I decided to give it a try. And I am glad I did. I truly learned a lot from this read concerning the radicalization of this country that I have been watching and decrying over the past 20 plus years. I, too am a Christian who is disgusted with the hijacking of my faith and my church with extremist and right wing political views. I am still a believer, yet I no longer attend church because organized religion is nothing more than a political pawn in the game that is being played for the future of our country. At times, I did get a little bogged down in the background/explanation of some issues, but this book details how our country has been radicalized slowly but efficiently since 9-11. The author explains how the ongoing polarization of Americans continues today, yet also offers a hope of a way to ensure a better future for America.
July 22, 2024
A book written by a Christian that is a strong follower of Christ. Ms Elizabeth goes into detail about extremism and violence in the US and how to diffuse it. She worked in Homeland Security in the Trump administration. As people were let go because of their lack of loyalty, her name was on the list. New hire questions were not about the candidates’ experience but were about how much they supported the President.
This non fiction book contains many Bible references and an incredible amount of information about the people that commit violence and how to lead them in a better direction. It’s well worth reading for her insight and knowledge about the people that commit shootings and organizations that promote it.
This non fiction book contains many Bible references and an incredible amount of information about the people that commit violence and how to lead them in a better direction. It’s well worth reading for her insight and knowledge about the people that commit shootings and organizations that promote it.
June 6, 2024
In this book by a devout Christian, directed primarily (exclusively?) to devout Christians, Elizabeth Neumann speaks truth to power. If you are not a Christian you may be turned off by all the Bible quoting, but then this book is not addressed to you. Nevertheless here is a rare voice of measured, sensible discourse. Recommended for any who even just a little bit thinks Trump, Fox News, and the J6 seditionists are OK.
Want to read
June 19, 2024Heard a podcast interview with the author (here: https://www.holypost.com/holy-post-po...), and this topic matters a lot to me. I'd like to see faith in and following Jesus and His example central in US Christianity, and this seems to be one angle on addressing the concerns from Christians like me looking at the current events in the US and church trends. It's concerning.
July 26, 2024
I would actually probably give this 3.5 stars if that was an option. It wasn’t quite the book I expected to d, but was still very good. It is less a deep dive into extremism in the evangelical church but more about extremism and radicalization in our country with some connections to evangelicalism for examples. It’s a little bit of almost a manual for identifying and supporting those that have radicalized to come back. It was interesting, but more for application than learning.
July 26, 2024
Great for anyone who wants to understand outrage and extremism in America, for anyone who wants to engage in more civil discourse, for anyone who wants to see a decrease in mass violence, for anyone who wants to apply Jesus' teachings to their interactions with those around them.
A well-researched book from an expert in the field!
A well-researched book from an expert in the field!
August 22, 2024
Great read on what is happening in our nation to turn believer against believer. It's no wonder that the apostle Paul encouraged believers to live in unity as we still need to do today if we are to thwart attacks from within our country do we can once again become one nation, indivisable, under God!
April 24, 2024
Elizabeth's work has been so helpful for me. When thinking about radicalization, I often envision people at the extremes (what I see on TV.) But the extremes exist w/in a broader community that cultivates radicalization. This book provides points the way forward.
July 4, 2024
A former Homeland Security Officer tells her understanding of why extremism and radicalism is rising in the US, especially in conservative “Christians” and suggestions for improving things. This is one of those books that is timely and important, although not completely an easy read.
July 11, 2024
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗺/𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸, 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺, 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 WhatsApp +2347044463038
August 18, 2024
I appreciated the tangible explanations of how extremism develops and what we can do to de-escalate its rise. I felt like the book went back and forth in addressing Christian extremism and conservative extremism, which are not the same thing. Each focus took something away from the other one.
September 1, 2024
Necessary lessons. I wonder how many will read who need it and whether reading the book will make a difference
Note: As of September 1st, 2024 the oft-cited resource website pathbacktopeace.org is not functional. Disappointing.
Note: As of September 1st, 2024 the oft-cited resource website pathbacktopeace.org is not functional. Disappointing.
May 1, 2024
A sometimes scary, but very important book, Kingdom of Rage is essential reading for the America of our time.
May 24, 2024
Does an excellent job of explaining it's subject and how to deal with it in a truly Christian way.
July 29, 2024
Lots of good information about the process of radicalization and extremism. However, the book becomes too "preachy" at times and is like reading a sermon.
August 27, 2024
A good message but not all that specific and filled with platitudes and scripture rather than a concrete description of how the evangelical movement became tied with extremism
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