An Interview with Katherine Stewart, Author of “The Power Worshippers”

In her latest book entitled The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism, author Katherine Stewart offers up a warning about the seemingly new rise of religious nationalism not just in America, but indeed around the world. In 2016, many were shocked when a number of prominent evangelical Christian leaders threw their support behind then-candidate Donald Trump. 81% of evangelicals went on to vote for him, and a significant number of them still support him loyally now, three years into his presidency.

People wanted to know: was this merely an anomaly — a blip on the radar screen — or was it a symptom of some deeper issues already existing within American society?

As it turns out, Christian nationalism is not a new phenomenon in America, but is a long-running movement stretching back decades into the past. In her book, Stewart describes a number of religious organizations (not just limited to evangelical Christianity, to be fair), that are working hard to undermine democracy and install their vision of a Christian nationalist agenda. This is something that everyone — not just Americans — should be aware of and exceedingly concerned about today. In fact, we are witnessing several authoritarian leaders of other nations who have allied themselves with prominent religious…