BOOK RECOMMENDATION: Alberta, Tim (2023). The kingdom, the power, and the glory: American evangelicals in an age of extremism

Friends,

I highly recommend this book. It was authored by former Politico Magazine chief political correspondent Tim Alberta who now writes for The Atlantic. He grew up in a white protestant church where his father served as a preacher for many years. It documents in great detail how the white Evangelical church in our country has gotten politicized to the point of deeply divided and wounding internal politics with one side opposing Trumpism and the other, often quiet, timid, or numb, in the crosshairs of partisan politics playing out in the church. Alberta maintains that this mixing of partisan, defensive politics with religion as if the church were "under siege"—a claim he handily dismisses—or as if the Kingdom of God needed these self-proclaimed warriors' help, cheapens the Gospel.

It's hard to encapsulate all the drama, fractiousness and hurt that Alberta vividly captures in his visits to around 30 churches throughout the U.S. over three years, from 2020 to 2023. His text is punctuated throughout with soulful reflection on the meaning, purpose, and role of the church in today's world anchored in Christ's teachings that speak, even now, to the redemptive possibilities of a church rooted in compassion and justice.

One can get to the heart of Alberta's treatise from his conversation with former megachurch Pastor Brian Zahnd, pastor of the Word of Life Church who has a Youtube channel to which one can subscribe. In St. Joseph, Missouri, his church experienced great tumult during the last Trump presidency as white evangelical Christians took sides on the Trump agenda. At the end of Chapter 15, Alberta and Zahnd are in conversation about whether the church is optimally positioned to take a stand.  Here is his response.

"Taking a stand," Zhand scoffed. "There is this soft assumption of action we're called to take. The task of the church is simply to be the Church. All of this high-blown rhetoric about changing the world—we don't need to change the world. We're not called to change the world. We are called to be the world already changed by Christ; that's how we're salt; that's how we're light. (p.293)

This is just one of the many gems that grace the pages of Alberta's book, which he masterfully narrates in its audiobook version. Treat yourself to the wisdom and healing power of this timely and exceptional text that is among the best books I've read this year.

-Angela Valenzuela 

References

Alberta, T. (2023). The kingdom, the power, and the glory: American evangelicals in an age of extremism. Harper.