The book offers a mixed analysis of Evangelical Christianity and its entanglement with politics, particularly the MAGA movement. While it provides well-researched insights into the history of Liberty University and the Southern Baptist Convention, it struggles with bias and one-sided criticism, failing to address similar issues on the political left. The author's personal perspective often overshadows objective analysis, leading to a flawed but partially insightful read.
The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory by Tim Alberta delves into the complex relationship between Evangelical Christianity and politics, with a significant focus on the impact of the MAGA movement. The book starts with a personal anecdote about the author's father's funeral, setting a tone that blends personal narrative with broader analysis. The author provides a well-researched evaluation of the history of Liberty University and the Southern Baptist Convention, offering a balanced view of their struggles and achievements. However, the book's strength lies in its interviews with key figures, where the author humanizes individuals without necessarily agreeing with their perspectives. Unfortunately, the book is marred by a consistent bias, criticizing conservative Evangelicals harshly while ignoring similar issues on the political left. This one-sided approach undermines the book's credibility and makes many of its arguments feel poorly formed and overly generalized. Despite these flaws, there are valuable insights, particularly in the latter parts of the book where the author highlights pastors who are effectively engaging their communities with strong Biblical leadership.
Quick quotes
The book is a deeply flawed book, filled with personal stories, some good journalism and research and an overarching perspective that the author finds difficult to escape.
The author has difficulty seeing the same problem on the left.
The book would have significantly more power if it had taken that into account and shone the same lens on so called “religious” politicians of various political persuasions.