The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory

American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism

By: Tim Alberta

Narrated by: Tim Alberta

Length: 18 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Instant New York Times Bestseller

One of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of the Year

An Economist and Air Mail Best Book of the Year

"Brave and absorbing." -- New York Times

“Alberta is not just a thorough and responsible reporter but a vibrant writer, capable of rendering a farcical scene in vivid hues.” -- Washington Post

“An astonishingly clear-eyed look at a murky movement.” -- Los Angeles Times

Evangelical Christians are perhaps the most polarizing—and least understood—people living in America today. In his seminal new book, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, journalist Tim Alberta, himself a practicing Christian and the son of an evangelical pastor, paints an expansive and profoundly troubling portrait of the American evangelical movement. Through the eyes of televangelists and small-town preachers, celebrity revivalists and everyday churchgoers, Alberta tells the story of a faith cheapened by ephemeral fear, a promise corrupted by partisan subterfuge, and a reputation stained by perpetual scandal.

For millions of conservative Christians, America is their kingdom—a land set apart, a nation uniquely blessed, a people in special covenant with God. This love of country, however, has given way to right-wing nationalist fervor, a reckless blood-and-soil idolatry that trivializes the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Alberta retraces the arc of the modern evangelical movement, placing political and cultural inflection points in the context of church teachings and traditions, explaining how Donald Trump's presidency and the COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated historical trends that long pointed toward disaster. Reporting from half-empty sanctuaries and standing-room-only convention halls across the country, the author documents a growing fracture inside American Christianity and journeys with listeners through this strange new environment in which loving your enemies is "woke" and owning the libs is the answer to WWJD.

Accessing the highest echelons of the American evangelical movement, Alberta investigates the ways in which conservative Christians have pursued, exercised, and often abused power in the name of securing this earthly kingdom. He highlights the battles evangelicals are fighting—and the weapons of their warfare—to demonstrate the disconnect from scripture: Contra the dictates of the New Testament, today's believers are struggling mightily against flesh and blood, eyes fixed on the here and now, desperate for a power that is frivolous and fleeting. Lingering at the intersection of real cultural displacement and perceived religious persecution, Alberta portrays a rapidly secularizing America that has come to distrust the evangelical church, and weaves together present-day narratives of individual pastors and their churches as they confront the twin challenges of lost status and diminished standing.

Sifting through the wreckage—pastors broken, congregations battered, believers losing their religion because of sex scandals and political schemes—Alberta asks: If the American evangelical movement has ceased to glorify God, what is its purpose?

©2023 Tim Alberta (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Clearity Within The Fog

This book is a must listen for anyone that wonders why these days the Evangelical Christians seem to be so ... extra.

I grew up Evangelical Christian in the 80s and 90s, however I no longer consider my self part of that religion. My faith is in Jesus alone - no others. My disillusionment started when I was 19 (in the 80s), and I began to see my local Minnesota pastors setting themselves up as celebrities that treated their churches more like a high-growth business than a ministry. Huge auditoriums, high schools, TV shows, theatrical and musical performance were all designed to bring in people and (in my opinion) raise weekly income exponentially. The church I called home had a pastor that started out by leading a bible study, but by the time I decided to quit, he would arrive in a limo, directly speak to only the powerful in the church, owned a huge house on the lake, and seemed to care more about making his church big than actually being a shepherd of his flock. So I walked away holding my Lord in my heart rather than on my sleeve.

Once on the outside over the years, I've observed the church through the eyes of my family. My mother still holds to the values of the 80s style beliefs that hold Christ above all others, She used to be a power force in her church, but today she has a very private, personal relationship with Jesus and doesn't frequent services very often. My brother on the other seems to have dove head-first directly into the populist lake of a celebration of Trump. He goes to rallies, proudly displays his "Trump Leadership Certificate", surrounds himself with only like-minded Trump loyalists, while (as Tim Alberta points out continually in his book) pushes those that don't believe in Trump away from him.

It has been an interesting journey over the years trying to parse and interpolate those two dichotomous beliefs, but I could never get a handle on **why** the Evangelical church lost its way. What happened to the preacher that now treats the service like a campaign rally? When did the pursuit of money and power become a central focus rather than caring for those in your community with need? How did the message of Christ - of love and ministry - become a message of hate and exclusion? I would, on occasion, quiz my brother on these questions, but it always would end up in my frustration that he was afraid of everything "they" would take away from him and his family (though he couldn't really define who "they" were or how they materially affected his life). Once Trump entered the conversation, there was nothing that would reason with him. And, after being cut off a number of times, I simply stopped trying to understand or criticize. (though I still "...stand at the door and knock..." from time to time)

Alberta's book helped me understand clearly what my brother couldn't explain. Tim clearly walks through the link between who the Church used to be and how it is now. He deftly weaves his way between the various belief systems and churches of the Evangelical faith, and his reporting of his experiences with different, prominent Evangelical and SBC thought leaders helped me understand the state of the church today. The most revealing part of the book for me was Tim's journey from pastor to pastor across the country, and how some have turned away from Trump while others still hold loyalty to him. Tim contrasts the Evangelical Church's pursuit of power and wealth and actual words of Christ, and he give a broad survey of the state of church and how it may (or may not) move forward.

One day, I hope we can all look back with incredulity and disbelief of a time when Christ's Church went astray -- and then came back to Him. I join Tim in believing in an optimistic outlook, and I have faith that Christ will restore people's lives - even if we may not call it the "Evangelical" church anymore.

Understanding, Insight and Hope

Tim Alberta pulls back the curtain on the damaging influence of Christian Nationalism to the Evangelical Church. Beginning with his own upbringing in an Evangelical church in Brighton, MI where his father, Rich Alberta, served as the Senior Pastor, he takes the reader on a whirlwind national tour of the hot spots where politics on the right have overtaken the biblical message of Christian faith and discipleship. As a follower of Jesus and a respected journalist, Alberta exposes the myriad ways the good news of Christ has been bent and perverted into a limited game of power politics.

It was surprising to discover the depths of group think that has taken place as a cultic non-biblical dogmatism has arisen which has caused pastors to either conform to keep their attendance up or to take a courageous stand resulting in loss of attendance, insults and personal threats. Alberta, the Journalist, allows charlatan preachers to tell their own story. Alberta, the theologian, brings in relevant scripture passages that reveal the deception of their culture-bound preaching and teaching.

The author demonstrates the damage to the church being done by political operatives. What appeared to be once healthy churches, now find their congregations either far from the Christian faith in a new and strange temporal political action committee type of community or decimated in both worship attendance and financial support as they seek to faithfully live into lives that mirror the life Jesus in our time.

The first two parts of the book tell stories of the lurch to the political right taken by so many Evangelical Churches. The third part of the book tells the stories of those who are helping followers of Christ find new ways of biblical discipleship, peace-making, and community service. The Epilogue brings a message of hope and new pathways for understanding how the church can move forward. Don't miss this last part. It is likely the most important chapter in this book.

A companion book or sequel could written that documents the influence of the political left on mainline churches. In any case, the issues of cultural influence on the church and the church as a cultural influence provides an endless field of inquiry as followers of Jesus seek "...to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with (their) God." Micah 6:8b

Jesus is Lord, not the grifters or America.

Alberta critiques the modern evangelical movement not just as a journalist observer, but as a lifelong believer that is horrified by what has become of the church in which he was molded. With measured humility, grace and a touch of righteous anger, he writes and calls to an American church that has lost its way and commission by not just mixing politics and faith, but conflating them altogether. Jesus is Lord, not the grifters or America.

thank you

Finally some articulate answers to the plaguing questions of how could this be happening in our country.

What an excellent book!!!!

This is a combination memoir and in depth analysis of the Evangelical church. Such insight and well researched!

A modern day Christian’s must read book

This is a book well worth your time to read. In the mist of all of this controversy over, evangelical Christianity and Donald Trump and the witness of the Christian church. This book does an excellent job of helping us understand how and where we have all gone so far wrong in idolizing our institutions, our country, our reputations, and not focusing on portraying, and protecting the reputation of God through Christ! This is absolutely a “must read” for Christians today!
😀🙏🏽😀

Alberta’s compassion

This was so helpful in understanding members of my family who are self-described evangelicals and who appear allergic to rational dialogue. Alberta has helped me to give myself permission to let it go and pray that they discover the truth about the current political situation for themselves.

Speaks well to why the church in America is so distracted from its mission

Great evaluation of the culture and the church. Wasn’t quite sure the lengthy segment on the SBC aligned with the theme but may have missed a transition. Best “read” in a long time.

As a recovering Catholic I could not understand the power driven “Evangelical” Christians until now

What a beautifully spiritual journey this author has taken me on. I have never understood how Evangelical Christians could approve and support the crass behavior and unchristian comments made by people seeking power. Seeing them treat each other worse than nonbelievers has been astonishing. After listening to Mr Alberta’s observations and reporting I finally feel like I understand it a bit more though it is still behavior that should bring shame at the end of the day.

Good luck earning your Masters. I feel your heading in the right direction and your fellow Christian’s need people like you now more than ever.

This book left me speechless

The narrative was masterfully put together, contrasting the “finite game” many evangelicals (and those who exploit them) play with the “infinite game” on scripture. He gives the backstory of how prominent leaders traded eternal gain for temporal power; details the consequences and fallout; and provides hope for the renewal starting to sprout up.