The Violent Take It By Force by Matthew Taylor Book Review

About the Book:

A propulsive account of the network of charismatic Christians that consolidated support for Donald Trump and is reshaping religion and politics in the US.

Over the last decade, the Religious Right has evolved. Some of the more extreme beliefs of American evangelicalism have begun to take hold in the mainstream. Scholar Matthew D. Taylor pulls back the curtain on a little-known movement of evangelical Christians who see themselves waging spiritual battles on a massive scale. Known as the New Apostolic Reformation, this network of leaders and believers emerged only three decades ago but now yields colossal influence, galvanizing support for Trump and far-right leaders around the world. In this groundbreaking account, Taylor explores the New Apostolic Reformation from its inception in the work of a Fuller Seminary professor, to its immense networks of apostles and prophets, to its role in the January 6 riot. Charismatic faith provided righteous fuel to the fire that day, where symbols of spiritual warfare blazed: rioters blew shofars, worship music blared, and people knelt in prayer. This vision of charismatic Christianity now animates millions, lured by Spirit-filled revival and visions of Christian supremacy.

Taylor's unprecedented access to the movement's leaders, archives, internal conference calls, and correspondence gives us an insider account of the connection between charismatic evangelicalism and hard-right rhetoric. Taylor delves into prophetic memes like the Seven Mountains Mandate, the Appeal to Heaven flag, and the Cyrus Anointing; Trump's spiritual advisor Paula White's call for "angelic reinforcements"; and Sean Feucht and Bethel Music's titanic command of worship styles across America. Throughout, Taylor maps a movement of magnetic leaders and their uncompromising beliefs--and where it might be headed next. When people long to conquer a nation for God, democracy can be brought to the brink.

My Review:

I listened to the audio of this book (from my local library) in my ongoing attempt to understand the dynamics of January 6 and the current political and religious atmosphere.

Taylor concentrates on the Christian influence leading up to the historic event. I appreciate Taylor's explanation of the broad group of people identifying as evangelical. He explores the history and influence of Paula White. I was especially interested in the origins of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement and its relationship to the seven mountain movement. I was reminded of dominion theology and learned how it became part of the movement.

I was surprised that Taylor said about one fifth of US believes in the seven mountain concept, that Christians should dominate and transform the seven areas of society. I appreciate Taylor's clarification that it does not seem NAR leaders took part in the violence of January 6 but their influence leading up to it was clear. Taylor ends his book warning of the increasing influence of the movement on US politics.

This is a good book for people who would like more information on the current state of Christian influence on US politics and politicians. Although the book was released in 2024, it helped explain much of what is happening now.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Matthew D. Taylor is a senior scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies in Baltimore, where he specializes in Evangelical and Pentecostal movements, religious politics in the US, Muslim-Christian dialogue, and American Islam. He holds a PhD in Religious Studies from Georgetown University and an MA in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. His first book, Scripture People: Salafi Muslims in Evangelical Christians’ America (Cambridge University Press, 2023), offers an introduction to the oft-misunderstood Salafi movement in the U.S. by way of comparison with American Evangelicalism. Taylor's second book, The Violent Take It By Force: The Christian Movement that is Threatening Our Democracy (Broadleaf, 2024) tracks the growth of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement and shows how the NAR leaders became the vanguard of Christian supporters of Donald Trump, even playing a direct role in the January 6 Capitol Riot.

Broadleaf Books, 292 pages.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.