Apostate

by Kevin Swanson

Whatever happened to Western civilization? Somehow, Christians have lost ground in every cultural area of leadership and influence in Europe and America since 1700. This is an indubitable fact. The remaining Christians search for an explanation. They want to know how it happened.

This is the story of the decline and fall of Western civilization. It is the story of uncommonly powerful men, unfathomably evil men. . . apostates.

Reader beware!

This book faces head-on the spiritual forces that leveled a full-out attack on the Christian faith in the Western world. On the one hand, it is a story of demonic possession, insanity, suicide, mass-murder, adultery, homosexuality, cultural and social revolutions, and unbridled, maniacal apostasy. It is the story of apostasy on a massive scale. But it is also a story of hope and victory for the last men standing in the ashes of Western civilization. It will be a testimony to the inevitable triumph of Jesus Christ over the great men of renown who picked the wrong fight in the history of the West.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Christianity, Theology, Cultural, Faith

303 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Kevin Swanson is a husband, father, pastor, radio-host, and national speaker. Kevin is the pastor of Reformation Church in Elizabeth, Colorado (ReformationChurch.com).

He also serves as the Director of Generations; a ministry he founded to strengthen Christian families around the country. As a father who wants to leave a godly heritage for his five children, Kevin's passion is to strengthen and encourage families all over the world, and to cast a vision for generations to come.

For the last 13 years Kevin has hosted a daily radio program--Generations Radio-- that reaches families across the U.S. and in over 100 countries.

Reviews

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Concurring Opinion
A review of the book Apostate by Kevin Swanson

I have never struggled so much with my thoughts on a book like I did with Kevin Swanson’s Apostate.

When I saw that the book was coming out I was very excited, it was the kind of book I love to read. It is one part critique of culture, one part history book, and one part indictment on the philosophies of western culture. Kevin Swanson has done his work he has written a powerful summary of how western culture has fallen away from a Biblical model and how our culture today is as godforsaken as it has ever been.

Now I totally agree with Swanson that our culture is not in the right place, but I disagree with his assessment of how we got there (hence the idea of a concurring opinion, which is a judicial term used when a judge comes to the same conclusion via different logic). I also have some problems with how Swanson wrote sections of this book. For this review I will outline the book, say where I agreed with it and where I disagreed with it. Finally I will share some closing thoughts and concerns.

Book Outline:
Swanson’s book is broken down into three parts:
Part 1 deals with what he calls the Nephilim these are philosophers who taught anti-Christian concepts that have taken root in our culture today. The philosophers include Decartes, Locke, Bentham, Darwin and several others. A surprising one on this list, at least at first glance, was Thomas Aquinas, but after reading what Swanson said I began looking at him differently.
Part 2 covers what he calls Literary Nephilim who are the authors that took the philosophies of the men mentioned above and made them accessible to the masses. Some of the authors include Shakespeare, Hawthorne and Twain. This section is an interesting one, I do not agree with all the points made in this section but my disdain for Twain’s writings was encouraged.
Part 3 concludes the book with a summary of where we are today in the twenty-first century, this was my favorite section because of the results the Nephilim and their influence today. I am constantly frustrated with our culture’s acceptance of all things rebellious and he brings this point out throughout the section. I think his critique of The Beatles is spot on. I am frustrated by Christians who listen to many contemporary artists and do not critically look at what they are preaching through their music.

What I liked/agreed with:
Let’s talk about what I agree with him on. First the philosophers he addresses in part 1 is right on. I agree that these men had the destruction of Christianity in their minds and that today many people are practicing these philosophies without even knowing it. I thought his handling of Nietzche and Dewey was especially well done. Both of these men are incredibly anti-Christian in their stances and their goals.

I loved his Apostate book trailer. Such a great visual of what Swanson is talking about. Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-I5yq... I agree that we as Christians are going to be a hated minority very soon. I also like that he holds people accountable for their worldview influencing the people they teach. But it is not done perfectly which leads me to the problems I have with this book.

The final two chapters do a good job of pointing out who the main culprits are today and how the Nephilim’s philosophies are continuing in today’s culture. I really enjoyed his summary of what is wrong with our culture today and how we must first know what we believe before we can engage culture. I think the second to last chapter (18) is really where Swanson’s book excels. When he began to engage the medium I was ready to cheer. I actually got goose bumps when he started to quote Neil Postman (I love Postman, and we need another Postman, soon!). I wish Swanson would write a longer book from this chapter (maybe he has, I am not as familiar with Swanson’s work as I have been with other authors).

What I disliked/disagreed with:
The first problem I had was in the introduction where Swanson says that Karl Marx’s philosophy is wrong because his daughter killed herself. I believe this is a non sequitur fallacy or maybe an ad hominem attack. I’d hate to know what things people will say about me if any of my children make mistakes like this. Does that mean David was an awful false teacher because of how Solomon lived his life? Or because of how Absalom lived his life?

Another problem I have with this book is that he makes very broad statements about people being possessed by demons. I am not sure how he can prove this, nor am I sure we are even supposed to. Along with this I have a hard time taking a book seriously that cites Wikipedia in its footnotes. I am hoping as a teacher that he is using this to provide a means for the reader to familiarize themselves with the topics/individuals and not as an actual source. (Note: we don’t allow students to use Wikipedia because anyone can edit it and it is not a reliable source) I gave him the benefit of the doubt but it was very annoying to see something that would not fly in a high school English class being done by a writer I respect.

Just as I was excited to see Swanson use Postman (limited though it was) I was equally disappointed that he never addressed Francis Schaefer, who wrote a similar book to this one (except to talk about his son losing his faith). To be fair he does recommend Francis Schaefer’s book, but I can’t help but wonder if maybe the message from the book of Daniel could be used here. When Daniel was told he must learn the ways of the Babylonians, he did it the best he could but never let that form his opinion of the world, instead he let God’s Word form it for him (so maybe this is not a disagreement but an agreement).

Swanson paints the history of western culture with a broad brush, that prior to these Nephilim coming everything was pretty much right on track. And for this I disagree. The period prior to the enlightenment and renaissance was not one of everyone living out a Christlike life wherever they lived, instead it was a time of incomplete following of Christ. And I feel this is where Swanson’s point is lost. I do not disagree with his contention that these men have shaped the way we view the world. I just think there are more people to blame, who may actually be more to blame. Where is the condemnation for the Catholic church and their wedding of tradition and revelation? Where is the condemnation of the early protestants who persecution and murder of Anabaptists? Where is the condemnation of slave owners who provided the material for the Literary Nephilim? When Swanson handles the Puritans he is right on about their theology. Their theology is amazing, as is their writing. But what about the fact that they lived lives of hypocrisy in that they supported slavery? This does not discount what they taught. I love the Puritans their works are without equal, but their lives were incomplete. To gloss over that is to set one’s self up to fail. Swanson’s portrayal of the Puritans is as incomplete as Hawthorne’s is incorrect. There are places in our history where the blame cannot be shifted to the “Nephilim” because it is solely on us as believers. In defense of Swanson this is not what his point in this book is, but I do think it needs to be said.

Okay enough with my rambling, the main problem I have with this is that instead of being a complete picture of what is wrong with the west we get an incomplete picture of a dozen men who gave the masses what they wanted (tickled their ears) with little or no indictment on the church. If we were living the gospel in our lives both in church and out we would still have the west falling but our voice would be out there being heard instead of what we see now. I do not see a lot in this book about the gospel and its power. I see a lot about the influence of Christianity and God’s law, but only the gospel can save. This is what we need.

Conclusion:
I enjoyed this book, and for all two of you that have read this far on this very long review, please understand that I really did enjoy the thinking this book stirred up in me. It is a struggle, I went back and forth about what to give this book. 3 stars? 4 stars? 5? And I settled on…3 ¾ stars…I guess.

Here is the bottom line:
I agree with Swanson that we have left Christianity behind as a culture, I do not agree that there was ever a period where God’s laws reigned supreme, nor do I think that is what matters. What matters is whether or not people are putting their lives under the gospel and living it out. When our lives match what we stand for with our mouths will the church actually make a difference in culture. But even then I think the culture (the darkness) will not be able to comprehend the gospel (the light) and therefore they will always hate it.

But then again, they hated our Savior, so I guess we are in good company.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very fine book. In it, Kevin Swanson does something very similar to what Jones does in Degenerate Moderns, and Paul Johnson in Intellectuals. Swanson has a few weak chapters (Aquinas and Shakespeare, in my view), but where he has the background data at his fingertips, as he does for almost all the men in this book, his treatment is devastating. The subtitle is "The Men Who Destroyed the Christian West," and when we take higher education into account, we could add "And the Christians Who Enabled Them."

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, this 2 star rating has nothing to do with his ideas. I agree with everything he says. The problems lie elsewhere.

Have you ever been in a meeting where you were trying to solve a problem with a bunch of people and there is just this one guy that points out any flaw with any idea. They don't give any ideas of their own, they never try to help with a solution, they just shoot other people down. Well, that's what reading this book is like. There is nothing but problems until the last three pages offer what could be taken as hope, but are really more like just predictions for the future. Every little thing is nagged upon and repeated over and over until it just didn't matter any more.

Swanson's citations were head-scratching at best. He liberally uses Wikipedia, which anyone will tell you isn't a credible site. He cites things in the book, but doesn't cite them at the end so I couldn't do any cross referencing. He finds the most obscure and miniscule articles out there and announces that these little problems are taking over the entire Western World. He denounces the world for doing that to Christians, but he does it to other people.

He also totally missed the point on several works of literature that he discusses. His basic summary for Of Mice and Men is just wrong. That is one of my favorite novels, I've read it every year since I graduated college, I completely agree it is not a Christian text, but he couldn't even summarize it right. He builds up to how these philosophers led to the wars of the early 20th century, but then gives Hemingway and Steinbeck no mention of the wars. Their novels were a response to the greatest horrors the world had ever seen, but since Hemingway killed himself he was clearly demon possessed.

Swanson is also the head of the homeschooling society in Colorado, so anyone who has ever been to a public school, worked at a public school, or even seen a public school out the window of their car is pretty much an evil sinner doomed to an eternity in hell. I can't tell you how often he grinded on that ax, and being a public school teacher that got old quick. He also whined about the last several presidential elections, and we all know how fascinating those conversations are.

Any Christian with the Bible can tell you any of the stuff in this book. Our world is coming to an end. Swanson would apparently "solve" the issue by having us all become Protestants and never do anything except live at home, read your Bible, and work on the field. The man is a Chicken Little screaming his head off that the sky is falling. His audience should already be aware of this. Now go read J.P Mooreland and get some ideas on how to actually make a difference in the world for Christ.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must-read.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing history of how revisionists changed public education in the Western civilization from the sacred revelation of knowledge and understanding to secular human reasoning.

[Michael Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

If one were honest, they would have to admit there has been a drastic shift in the milieu of Western culture, a shift from a definitive foundation on Christian values to one where godless and humanistic pursuits reigns supreme. How did this great shift in culture take place and who were the perpetrators or the behind the scenes movers and shakers, those who have influenced Western civilization to such an extent that seemingly every element of society has embraced these godless ideals? Kevin Swanson, in his new book Apostate: The Men Who Destroyed the Christian West, explores in detail the individuals he believes are largely responsible for the decline of the Christian culture over the past few hundred years.

For starters, this is a much needed book not just in the academic community, but for all believers. Understanding how individuals such as Jean-Paul Satre pushed humanism as a societal norm and how John Dewey influenced the public educational system will not just provide a history or biographical lesson, it will more importantly provide the reader with a framework by which to understand how we moved from a society committed to godly values to one focused on self. In approaching this importantly vast subject, Swanson divides his book into three main sections, each focusing on a specific group of what he calls “Nephilim”, a play on words to the godless giants discussed in Genesis 6, individuals that negatively influenced society at that time to the point where evil reigned supreme.

In part 1, Swanson reintroduces a word that is somewhat lost in the common vernacular, namely the term apostasy. He notes “Virtually all of the mainline Christian denominations have contributed their share of apostates to the task of breaking down the Christian faith in the West.” This level of apostasy finds its roots according to Swanson in the “denial of God’s right to be God, and the usurpation of that right by man. In a word, it is a life and death struggle over sovereignty.”

While the list of “Nephilim” discussed in part 1 are some rather familiar godless men, individuals who without a doubt made it their life goal to push God out of society, one name which stands out in part 1 of Swanson’s book is that of Thomas Aquinas. While I personally was not surprised to find the name of Aquinas in this book, arguably some readers might be surprised. Aquinas is often associated with being a theological giant and to a large degree he was. Unfortunately, as rightly noted by Swanson, Aquinas’ influential magnum opus The Summa Theologiae introduced a number of humanistic concepts into the theological position of the church. The idea that human reason could be concomitant to that of biblical truth, paved the way for future efforts to disconnect the other arts from godly pursuits. Swanson brilliantly reflects “In effect, when Christians adopt a worldview built upon a foundation of human reason, at some point Scripture is incapable of speaking with ultimate authority on any matter whatsoever.”

Swanson, in part 2 of his book, turns his attention to the literary “Nephilim”, those who influence culture through their writings. Individuals such as Shakespeare, Hawthorne, Mark Twain, Hemingway, and John Steinbeck are discussed. Now the likes of Shakespeare and Mark Twain may seem to be rather odd as after all, are not Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn considered classics and are not plays such as Romeo and Juliet or Macbeth noted classics as well? While these works may indeed be classics, their cultural influence should not be overlooked, nor should their authors be considered as merely depicting current societal trends. Swanson notes several interesting facts about Shakespeare and his plays, in particular the somewhat homoerotic underpinnings of some of these plays as well as the manner in which Shakespeare seems to question a true causal force. For example, in the classic play Macbeth, Shakespeare seemingly rejects a biblical view of ethics, presenting the idea that the “fates hold the more fundamental control over reality.” Such themes, while arguably in their infancy in Shakespeare’s day, took further root in society with the popularity of Shakespeare.

The American literary giant Mark Twain also had his share of issues with God and Scripture. Swanson notes that later in life, Twain no longer hid his atheistic tendencies, instead declaring the Bible to be “the most damnatory biography that exists in print anywhere”, while considering God to be “repulsive, vindictive, and malignant.” Twain’s classic work Huckleberry Finn seems to be the complete opposite of John Bunyan’s book “Pilgrim’s Progress.” While the protagonist in Bunyan’s work progressively moved closer to an understanding of God and his need for redemption, the main character in Twain’s work is presented as “confused and turned off by the Christian caricatures he meets along the way.” I also found interesting the issues Mark Twain had with the Bible and slavery. Swanson provides some excellent insight into this issue and Twain’s attempt to twist what the Bible has to say on the issue of slavery.

The final section of Swanson’s book focuses on the cultural “Nephilim”. In this day and age of mass media, the ideas of the godless cultural giants addressed in Swanson’s book are gaining ground across the world. Bands such as the Beatles, influenced by Nietzsche, Darwin, and Dewey, promoted on a mass scale the free love and rule free humanistic ideals these individuals espoused. Swanson correctly analyzes that “Almost every popular song now celebrates decadence but mocks the celebration in the very same breathe.” This embracing of apostasy has also found its way into the walls of the modern church. Being heavily influenced itself by the “Nephilim” discussed by Swanson, the church has found itself accommodating to humanistic ideals rather than standing firm on biblical truth. I fully appreciated Swanson’s assessment and statement at the conclusion of this book that “Without a firm grasp of Old and New Testament law, Christians will slowly adopt the pagan ways of the apostasy, whether it be homosexuality, vampirism, witchcraft, body mutilation, or the hundreds of forms of idolatry found in the society around us.” If the reader thinks that it not possible or that Swanson is overstating the influence of these “Nephilim”, they only need to read the Old Testament account of Israel and their accommodation to the surrounding pagan culture.

As noted at the outset of this review, this is a much needed book. The reader will be thoroughly engaged in the subject matter as Swanson systematically discusses the vast influence men like Dewey, Twain, Nietzsche, and many others have had on our society. Understanding their influence will assist the believer to be able to recognize what these varies apostasies are and more importantly, how to respond to them. This is an especially important book I believe for parents and pastors to read as they will become acutely aware of just how far and wide the godless influence of these apostate Nephilim has been.

I received this book for free from Generations With Vision via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Mazzou B · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I receive books for reviewing, I usually find it easy to just lay them in my ''to-read'' pile. Not so with Apostate! I was motivated to read this book from the cover and the first chapter! So intense is this work that I couldn't put it down and finished it in one afternoon. True, the content is not light reading. On the contrary, Mr. Swanson embarks upon the very important task of revealing the histories and twisted beliefs of many famous philosophers, authors and other men who, unfortunately, have been all too influential in Western culture. Although this is certainly no mere ''fun'' read, I found the chapters fascinating as I realized how, in textbooks and biographies, much of the truth of these men's evil natures has been hidden from the average student. This book is extremely necessary for Christians to understand the belief systems of the men who ''helped'' shape Western culture! And Christians know that shaping has been for the worse.
Discover the harmful influences of men including René Descartes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill and Bertrand Russell, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Friedrich Nietzsche, John Dewey, William Shakespeare, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mark Twain,Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck, John Lennon and more!
Saddening truths, but necessary to hear since we live in a culture greatly influenced by these ungodly men.
I don't know of many books like this, and highly recommend it for all families and individuals.

The book contains, besides the preface, three parts: "Part 1 - The Nephilim", "Part 2 - The Literary Nephilim", and "Part 3 - The Cultural Nephilim"

Description from the website:

Whatever happened to Western civilization? Somehow, Christians have lost ground in every cultural area of leadership and influence in Europe and America since 1700. This is an indubitable fact. The remaining Christians search for an explanation. They want to know how it happened.
This is the story of the decline and fall of Western civilization. It is the story of uncommonly powerful men, unfathomably evil men. . . apostates.
Reader beware!
This book faces head-on the spiritual forces that leveled a full-out attack on the Christian faith in the Western world. On the one hand, it is a story of demonic possession, insanity, suicide, mass-murder, adultery, homosexuality, cultural and social revolutions, and unbridled, maniacal apostasy. It is the story of apostasy on a massive scale. But it is also a story of hope and victory for the last men standing in the ashes of Western civilization. It will be a testimony to the inevitable triumph of Jesus Christ over the great men of renown who picked the wrong fight in the history of the West.

[Joshua · Rating 1 out of 5]

*Edit 2/22/24*
I have since changed my position on this book and much of what Kevin Swanson has to say about Christianity.
But I do find it it amusing to read the review below so I'm keeping it for others to be mildly amused by.
I'll leave my one star above as review enough for the book.

Old Review:
This is a really well written book and the topic is obviously well researched and thought out. It’s interesting, unique, and the only reason I don’t rate it any higher is because it felt more like a really long research paper instead of a book. That being said however, I found it to be a really enjoyable research paper! I like how it ends with a seemingly simple but important call to arms.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin Swanson, people either love him or hate him. I appreciate his passion for the Lord and teaching fathers to be fathers. This book takes you through the progression of the growth of apostasy. He carefully lays out his arguments with each of the authors he covers. Reading this was well timed for me since several of these men have books on the 100 must reads for men that I am going through at this time. Mr. Swanson makes you think and ask, what are these men trying to accomplish with their writings. I highly recommend this book.

[Stephen Crawford · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a decent introduction to the more notable apostates of Western history. The Scriptural quotations are used very well to rebuke the more nefarious quotes one by one, and Swanson and I would find a lot more to agree on that to disagree about.

Unfortunately, while I like what he is trying to do, his writing style is a bit strange, or maybe superficial. He reminds me of Rob Lowe's character in Parks and Rec who refers to every single thing as "literally the best/worst thing." Every thinker is the worst and has the most profound impact on apostasy in the West - every single one. It's like he can't make up his mind and didn't proofread his own book. He restates his premises over and over in every chapter, especially in the introduction. I kept finding myself saying, "Yes, we get the point, now explain to me a little more about the person you're discussing."

He doesn't explain "how" (in most cases) these thinkers influenced society at large. He just gives you a very brief overview of the person's life, a few quotes, and then laments their impact on later society and goes on to the next person. There are large gaps in his logic, which doesn't bother me because I know enough to fill in the gaps on my own, but they are there nonetheless.

Finally, Swanson pulls a major Rushdoony/Dominionist/Reconstructionist/Reformed stunt which I have come to despise. He insists on Reformed theology as historical, connected to the ancient church, and fully orthodox. There is only one mention of the Eastern Orthodox in the entire book. He even goes so far as to encourage people to read the early Church Fathers, talks about the importance of sacraments and liturgy, and professes to care about Trinitarian theology. Yet anyone with two brain cells would quickly realize that the Reformed tradition is not only not connected to the ancient church, but that the Protestant Reformation itself was a major catalyst for the total apostasy of the West. Don't take my word for it; read the first chapter of Barzun's magisterial "From Dawn to Decadence," Randall's "The Making of the Modern Mind," and Hazard's "The Crisis of the European Mind," along with MacCullough's "The Reformation." This apostasy that Swanson laments would not be possible without 1) the Great Schism and 2) the Protestant Reformation. Period. Even secular historians are quick to point this out. Stop talking about sacraments and tradition when you reject both of them in practice. You have no part with the historic Church, the Orthodox Church which holds to the Apostolic Faith and agrees with the whole counsel of the Fathers. He is lamenting the problem his own heretical confession created.

This book is not worth it for a serious student of history. It is too shallow and inconsistent to do much more than spark a naïve Protestant to do a little more research.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every person who desires a fine refreshment of knowledge and a good strong foundation, must read this. This book points out the cultural cracks in our country, where they came from, and why its wrong. The development of society has really plummeted, and now we teach our children philosophies and religions of men who were mentally unstable, yet idolized and honored.

This book also has a lot of footnotes, so this isn't just Kevin Swansons philosophy and if need be you can study the articles themselves. ;)

I recommend this book to teenagers, young men and women who want an eye opening view of American culture and adults who love knowledge.

Five stars!!!

[Pastoralmusings · Rating 5 out of 5]

The good folks at Cross Focused Reviews have provided us with Apostate by Kevin Swanson for review. Note that providing this book came with no obligation to write a positive review; and no financial remuneration was given for this review.

Apostate is an amazing book, and is written by a man who is well qualified to present the evidence found in the book.

Swanson’s experience and studies enable him to show us that ideas have consequences. Sadly this world is full of ungodly ideas, and the consequences of them are disastrous.

For many generations ungodly ideas have been affecting our world. Where we are today as a society, nation, churches, and even as families, is the result of so many of the ideas that have been present in our world for ages of time.

These ideas, Swanson shows, have been built upon from one generation to the next. The results are nothing less than appalling, heartbreaking, and destructive.

Beginning with Thomas Aquinas, the darling of so many professing Christians, Swanson shows how that the divorcing of Scripture and reasoning lead to terrible ends. One generation of philosophers has built upon the folly of the preceding generations.

Finally, these errant ideas no longer need the philosophers. They are now presented to us in our literature and pop culture. Yes, your favorite cultural icon is probably presenting the mad philosophy of Marx, Darwin, Nietzsche, Sartre, among others.

Rather than give spoilers, I’d rather say that we need to take away a few things from reading this book:

1. Ideas do have consequences.

2. Intellectuals and scholars are not neutral. Far too many are anti-theists whose goals are to rid us of allegiance to the Christian God.

3. Literature is not neutral. Many authors have goals, even in their fiction. Be aware of apostasy among the so-called classics.

4. Music and media are also promoting ideas and lifestyles that have consequences. For several generations now, pop music has been promoting the idea that man can live without God and do it “My Way”.

5. So, too, the educational establishment has goals that are beyond that of simply imparting knowledge of the “Three R’s”. There, too, and especially there, we find ungodly ideas at work.

Parents and pastors especially need to be aware of this and work to counter those ideas by instilling godly ideas and values in the minds of their children.



Part 1 – The Nephilim
Chapter 1 Apostasy
Chapter 2 The Contours of the Battle
Chapter 3 Thomas Aquinas – Forming the Humanist Synthesis
Chapter 4 René Descartes – Forming the Humanist Philosopher
Chapter 5 John Locke – Forming the Humanist Theologian
Chapter 6 Jean-Jacques Rousseau – Forming the Humanist Society
Chapter 7 Jeremy Bentham – Forming the Humanist Ethic
Chapter 8 Ralph Waldo Emerson – Forming the Humanist Person
Chapter 9 Karl Marx – Forming the Humanist Political State
Chapter 10 Charles Darwin – Forming the Humanist Scientist
Chapter 11 Friedrich Nietzsche – Forming the Humanist Psychology
Chapter 12 John Dewey – Forming the Humanist Education
Chapter 13 Jean-Paul Sartre – Forming the Humanist Culture

Part 2 – The Literary Nephilim
Chapter 14 William Shakespeare (Macbeth: What’s The Metaphysic?)
Chapter 15 Nathaniel Hawthorne (The Scarlet Letter: Severing the Heritage)
Chapter 16 Mark Twain (Huckleberry Finn: Rejecting The Faith)
Chapter 17 Ernest Hemingway & John Steinbeck (Twentieth Century Liturature)

Part 3 – The Cultural Nephilim
Chapter 18 Pandora’s Machine
Chapter 19 Gardens in the Ashes

About the Author:
Homeschooled himself in the 1960′s and 70′s, Kevin Swanson and his wife, Brenda, are now homeschooling their five children. Since graduating from his homeschool and then serving as student body president of a large west coast university, he has gone on to other leadership positions in corporate management, church, and other non-profits. Kevin has 43 years of experience in the homeschooling movement and serves as the Director of Generations with Vision – a ministry he founded to strengthen homeschool families around the country. As a father who wants to leave a godly heritage for his own five children, Kevin’s passion is to strengthen and encourage the homeschooling movement all over the world, and to cast a vision for generations to come. For the last 4 years Kevin has hosted a daily radio program – Generations Radio – the world’s largest homeschooling and Biblical worldview program that reaches families across the US and in over 100 countries.

Kevin has also served as the Executive Director of Christian Home Educators of Colorado for the last nine years. He has also authored several popular books for homeschoolers, including Apostate, Upgrade-10 Secrets to the Best Education for Your Child, The Second Mayflower, the Family Bible Study Guide Series, and others.

Kevin Swanson also serves as a teaching elder in a historical Christian church in the South Denver Metro area (www.reformationchurch.com).

Book Information:

Publisher: Generations With Vision (2013)
ISBN: 9780985365158
Page Count: 303

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever stopped and pondered how Western Civilization got to the place we are right now culturally and ethically speaking? Have you ever wished you could go back through history and trace the teachings responsible for leading us down the slippery slope of a society that values paganism/humanism but seemingly loathes anything Christian? Apostate: The Men who Destroyed the Christian West by Kevin Swanson is just the book for you then. This book was an eye-opening read, and one that I know I will use as a reference tool many times over during the next few years. Mr. Swanson does an outstanding job of showing how the secular philosophy of a few men had major negative influences on the Western world. I found myself somewhat awestruck at times as I was reading about the upbringing of guys like French Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (born in Geneva and the grandson of a Calvinist preacher), John Locke (son of Puritan parents and under the pastoral leadership of the outstanding Puritan preacher Dr. Samuel Crook), and Karl Marx (baptized into the Lutheran church). Swanson does a good job of providing thorough background information on all of the men discussed in this book without causing the readers to get too bogged down.

Personally, I felt like the chapters on Thomas Aquinas, Karl Marx and Nathaniel Hawthorne were the best in this book. The detailed critique/review that Swanson provides on Nathaniel Hawthorne's best selling book "The Scarlet Letter" was outstanding. I was not a Christian when I read this book in high school, but I vividly remember most of the details of the book as it was a gripping read from beginning to end. As I was reading Swanson's critique of the book from a Christian perspective, I couldn't help but find myself cringing at how my teacher's told us we should understand this book versus the way we, as Christians, should understand it in light of the Gospel. I so badly want to quote some of the sentences from Swanson's critique of the book, but I will refrain from doing so because I think that readers need to buy this book for themselves if only to read the chapter on Hawthorne. I especially recommend this chapter/book to Christian parents who have kids in public high school where this book is still required reading, so that they can see for themselves how to read/critique the book from a Christian perspective.

To me, what Apostate did more than anything, was to remind me of the Total Depravity of man and the fact that, outside of Holy Spirit-wrought regeneration, we are all capable of "falling away" from the faith that our parents/grandparents/guardians raised us in. Things like baptism, father being a preacher, having godly parents, etc. do not necessarily mean that our children will also experience true saving faith in Jesus Christ. We must exhort our kids daily to follow Christ, and watch for fruit that will bear testimony as to whether our children are truly saved or not, and if our children do fall away from the faith, then we need to consistently show them how wonderful a Savior we serve by loving them while disagreeing with their sinful lifestyle.

I received this for free from Generations with Vision via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

[Kevin Sorensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reader beware, indeed!

This is not an easy read; not because it's only for academicians, but because it is heavy, potentially depressing and strips away all hope we, as Americans (and any others in the 'West') have of 'pulling ourselves up by our own boot straps.' Swanson, not a novice to the realm of cultural criticism offers up a heaping dose of it here in Apostate: The Men Who Destroyed the Christian West. Your head will hurt, your heart will ache and you're faith in humanity will be stripped away.

And that's exactly what needs to happen. Faith in man and his ability to salvage anything at all remotely resembling 'the good ol' days' is grossly misplaced. Swanson sets the table full of platters, dishes, flagons and cups laden with the misguided teachings and writings of some of Western history's most famous figures. The question, 'How did we get to this point?' is answered through the course of Apostate.

The first two chapters set the stage, seeking to show how these 'Nephilim' (Genesis 6.4), these giants of philosophy, theology, psychology and literature set about to tear down the belief in God as Creator, and erect, in His place, 'Babel,' man's own tower of self-dependence. Chapter two gives the broad strokes the subsequent chapters will take, each displaying the destructive power of men with godless ideas in epistemology, ethics, and metaphysics. Once the table is set, Swanson takes a chapter at a time to reveal how men like René Descartes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau tore away godly foundations. Others, like Jeremy Benthan, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Karl Marx and Charles Darwin receive special mention. Yet some of the worst comes from Friedrich Nietzsche, John Dewey and Jean-Pual Sartre. When Swanson moves on to the literary Nephilim, he brings his sights to bear upon William Shakespeare, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck. I have no doubt, each of these men would laugh in the face of such scathing rebuke, but when approached from a Christian worldview with the presuppositions of that view, each one deserves the vilification they receive.

Is there any hope at all for Western civilization? Have we seen a continuing degradation during the last 50 years? Absolutely, and it looks as if it will continue to decline, unless God determines to do something amazing that only He can do. The final chapter, however, does let the Christian know some of the things he or she can do to stem the tide within their own homes and educational choices.

A heavy read? Yes. Weighty? No doubt. Discouraging? Most likely. Without hope? Not at all. All in all, a very informative read and one I commend to each one of you.

[Ross Leavitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

By taking a brief look at many men who have had a major influence on the way our world thinks, Kevin Swanson paints a broad picture of how the thought of one man can set a powerful trajectory for those who come after him. He looks at the theologians, philosophers, and writers who are household names, some of whom had significant positive influence and may even have been regenerate. Yet we see that often, Christian men introduced error into their thinking that would eventually influence those who came after them toward full-fledged apostasy. As we move closer to our present day, the evil in the thought and writings of these men becomes more and more obvious as the cultural Christianity that restrained it becomes an ever-more distant memory.

As I read about the more recent authors, I started to wonder whether they had accomplished anything even artistically worthwhile. From reading other sources, it's clear that the overt apostates of recent times were indeed great writers, and this is something that could have been acknowledged in this book. I believe it's important to remember the great technical skill of artists even as we pull down the imaginations of their minds with scripture.

For any Christian who has ever marveled at how evil our world has become, this is a clear and concise overview of how it happened. You will never look at the classics the same way again.

[Nechet Hudelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate Mr. Swanson and his drive to warn the church about the famous and classical authors who have been put on a pedestal by the world, but have an ulterior motive and insidious purpose (tearing down Christianity) to their writing. It is a warning we need to hear and be reminded of. But I think he throws the baby out with the bath water a bit, and seems to advocate complete rejection and avoidance of those works (for example: Shakespeare). Just because something was made by a pagan, or doesn’t give glory to God, doesn’t mean we should wrap it in yellow crime scene tape and bury it in the root cellar next to the rotting onions. Pagans can (and often do) make good art that follows God’s principles of beauty and then use it to slap Him in the face. I believe that we should learn from their art and use it to reveal God’s character and point out the depravity of man. To ignore the genius of Shakespeare’s plot lines, character archetypes, and poetry is taking us backward.
Also, there are some areas where Mr. Swanson failed to give adequate footnotes (though I agreed with what he was saying).

[Erika Schanzenbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could rate the idea content of this book separately from the presentation, I would have given this book more stars. The history of these men and their philosophies is important, and Swanson's willingness to look at both the ideas of the man as well as the moral life of the man I found to be enlightening.

I did wonder who was the intended audience for this book? From the conclusion it seems that he's trying to call to action Christians who have never thought much about philosophy or culture before. From his use of theological language, not always introduced very well, he keeps some, perhaps a lot, of his thought inaccessible to those unfamiliar with philosophical conversation.

He concludes with a couple pages of encouragement, but a doom and gloom atmosphere predominates throughout the rest of the book.

It forced me to think about some necessary things, so I am glad I read it, but it was a bit of a slog to get through.

[Jessica Duff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal work. His chapter titled “Pandora’s Machine” is an eye-opening wake up call about media and pop culture.

[Carol Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was, in many ways, a hard book to read. It was a difficult topic and hard to learn of the apostacy of so many men, especially so many who had a Christian upbringing. While I have heard of all the men written about, I didn't know the details. So, I did learn quite a bit. It was also just hard reading in many places. Mr. Swanson is very educated and just spoke over my head at times. Admittedly, that is not hard to do! But my overwhelming emotion after reading the book is sadness. The author shows how we arrived at the sad state of affairs we are in and it is just sad! However, in the last chapter, he does give a glimmer of hope but it will take godly men and women working hard toward that end. And he does recognize and share that Jesus Christ is still a factor!

In spite of the sadness and the fact that it is a hard book to read, I still feel that it is an important book to read. If we or our children are reading books written by many of the authors discussed, it is important to be aware of their worldviews. Some of the men covered are Thomas Aquinas, Emerson, Marx, Darwin, Nietzsche, Dewey, Sartre, Shakespeare, Hawthorne, Twain, Hemingway and Steinbeck.

[Lilly Wiscaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

*The copy I read was the first edition.*
This book was such an interesting book and showed me things about people who changed the world for the worst. Each chapter tells what each man contributed to our culture and how his influence is still here today. I found the literary section of the book very interesting. I remember reading one of the books mentioned in this book and thinking "Why is this in a Christian history course? It goes against everything I believe!" I now know what the book was trying to promote and why I am disgusted with that particular book. I'm very thankful I have avoided other books from the authors mentioned in the book, and that I now know why I cannot, in good conscience, read those books. I think all Christians should read this book!

[Tabitha C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of food for thought. I like how he mentions that some Christian schools/ homeschool curriculum providers include certain works in their curriculum, but is kind enough not to name names. Some authors I had never thought of as being an issue before, are now on my radar. I feel much better informed,and am looking forward to reading more of his other books, such as Worldviews and Worldviews in Conflict.

[Drmkk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an eye-opener! This is a hugely important book. It explains why none of the "classics" we were required to read in high school ever really sat well with me. Why can't we read good, uplifting books, with characters that are honest and true and themes that are beautiful and hopeful? We can and we should!! Dump the depressing, godless, and hopeless!

[Cleona Wangeci · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much unlearning that comes with reading this book .
It clearly depicts that history is told by those who appear victorious .
So much of what we know is a lie . Surely, we perish for lack of knowledge

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone seeking a cursory look at the fall of Western Civilization.

[RH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apostate. It's an ominous sounding title, and I went to Merriam Webster's online dictionary to find the exact definition for the word. It is: someone whose beliefs have changed and who no longer belongs to a religious or political group. I looked up synonyms for the word apostate just to get a better grasp of it. Included in the list were words such as betrayer, double-crosser, traitor, turncoat, mutineer and a host of other such words. It's quite the title for the latest book by Kevin Swanson, and the title is accurate. What or rather who Kevin Swanson unveiled in Apostate was a group of men, most or many of them raised in Christian households and in a society that was based at least partially on a Christian heritage; these men took the giftings they had and used them to exploit that very heritage. To say that these men were not brilliant is folly, but they used their great giftings for devious means. If you want to know the facts behind what happened to Western Civilization, this is a must read. When you finish Apostate you will be able to look at how our culture and society are run and know how, and from whom, these ideas originated from.

The book is outlined chapter by chapter by the top men who influenced the Western World. Kevin Swanson outlines their background, main philosophies, and the impact that the specific men had on future generations. From Rousseau to Marx and then to Lenin, the ideas can be traced from one man to the next.

Ideas are powerful, and they do have consequences. Kevin Swanson tackles this right from the beginning when he speaks of the danger that can originate from any idea that is not based on Scripture. On pages 6 and 7 of Apostate he quotes Dr. Benjamin Wiker who tells the story of Thomas Carlyle the Scottish Essayist who "was once scolded at a dinner party for endlessly chattering about books: `ideas, Mr. Carlyle, ideas, nothing but ideas!' To which he replied, `There once was a man called Rousseau who wrote a book containing nothing but ideas. The second edition was bound in the skins of those who laughed at the first.'" Of course, Carlyle speaks of the bloody nightmare of the French Revolution." These types of beliefs have seeped into our culture because we have not based our beliefs on the Bible. In Apostate Swanson quotes again and again from men whose ideas were not from the Word of God, but whose agenda instead literally came the Devil. To someone who is rooted in the Word of God these sayings stand out as being blatantly anti-biblical, but for others who are not rooted they are truly "tossed about by every wind of doctrine."

The book was well documented, (although Wikipedia was used throughout the book) and the following list is just a few of the sources that were used. There were many more.

Augustine's Confessions
Rudyard Kiplings The Gods of the Copybook Headings
Newsweek
John Paton's Missionary Patriarch
Charles Darwin's The Descent of Man
Friedrich Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil
William Shirer's The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler
Human Manifesto
John Dewey's The Influence of Darwin on Philosophy
Robert Louis Stevenson's Letter to Edward Gosse

In Apostate, Kevin Swanson covers not only philosophers such as Rene Descartes and John Locke but also those who put the philosophers ideas in motion. It took men of the world such as Richard Wagner and John Lennon in the music industry, and Mark Twain and John Steinbeck with their impact in the literary field to take the ideas from the philosophers and put those ideas into the hands of the people. The Average Joe is not going to pick up Rousseau's writings, but he will listen to a song by Lennon. The general populace follows along with the popular and "relevant" ideas of the day. What they don't know, is that those ideas are actually old ideas that have been working into the culture for several hundred years. Kevin Swanson's has a biblically rooted worldview and throughout the book, although he openly acknowledges the "nephilim" who brought Western Civilizations down, he also openly acknowledges God's providence even through the decline of the Western World. Apostate was thoroughly researched and is extremely well written. I highly recommend this book.

*Thanks to Cross Focused Reviews and Generations with a Vision for providing a complimentary copy for me in exchange for my honest review.

[John Wiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a very pessimistic person. Perhaps that is why Apostate by Kevin Swanson was hard to swallow. Nevertheless, his recent book is a valuable work that takes into account the general history of apostate philosophers and theologians in the past several hundred years. Swanson begins his survey with Aquinas, travels through history observing the lives and thoughts of men such as John Locke, Rene Descartes, Karl Marx (several others too) in his first section, he then overviews four literary “apostates,” and concludes with an overview of the repercussions in present day culture. Due to my current schedule, I tried to read through as fast as I could, so this may not be the most helpful analysis available, and would consider this review more of a “first impressions” response.

The first thing I need to state is that Kevin Swanson is not afraid to be counter-cultural and thoroughly biblical. He’s often labeled a “right-wing” conservative Christian, and depending on the media context, even an “extremist.” His organization, Generations With Vision, offers a wide array of resources for homeschooling, history, biblical studies, etc. What I’ve noticed with “Generations With Vision” is that its content is actually pretty good. I worked at a very conservative Christian bookstore for a little while and a lot of times the resources distributed by conservative, “fundamentalist” Christians (I’m not using the word “fundamentalist” in a demeaning way), were not even able to engage with secular thinkers. Swanson, on the other hand, clearly has taken great measures to carefully analyze the men he criticizes in his book and, I think, presented a fair representation. Yes, the secularist will absolutely hate this book and probably start a name-calling game online (most likely the word “bigot” will spring up), but can they really argue against Swanson’s criticisms? I would think that, in most cases, the answer would be “no.”

A second thing I think needs mentioning is that in all fairness to Swanson, despite the negative tone of most of the book, I don’t think it’s entirely possible to write a book on history’s “apostates” from a conservative point of view, and do it with a positive tone. After all, apostasy is ugly. There are examples upon examples in Scripture that urge God’s people to guard biblical truth. And the reality of the situation is that the men listed in Apostate have, in some part, contributed to the rise of secular humanism and the decline of biblical Christianity.

A third point I’d like to make is that I didn’t always find myself as harshly critical on every “apostate.” As I was reading the descriptions of each person’s biographical life, his philosophical impact, his views of God or man, etc., there wasn’t praise for some of the positive (even if very little) things that these men have contributed to world history. I believe in the doctrine of “common grace” and that despite the heresies and anti-biblical ideas these men have propagated, God has given them brilliant minds. Despite the plethora of error and distortion present in their writings, there are perhaps needles of truth in the haystacks of error. Then again, what was Swanson supposed to write about in Apostate? The errors and anti-biblical suppositions. Nevertheless, I believe there are things of value among philosophers in history, but that we just need to be careful.

Overall, I think Swanson’s book is rather intriguing, very straightforward, well-written, a little sharp, but certainly a recommendable read. Christians ought to know about history, and I think Apostate is a worthy contribution. On a “star” rating, this would earn a 4 out of 5, I believe. Hopefully, I will get the chance to read it a couple of more times and soak up even more insights.

I received this book for free from Generations With Vision through Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Mrs Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

We've all heard the saying sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. We teach that to our children in hopes that they'll overlook any negative comments thrown at them. But is there truth to that statement? I say no. Words do hurt. Indeed they do. In Thomas Harvey's Elementary Grammar and Composition book words are defined as, " a syllable, or a combination of syllables, used in the expression of thought." So you see our words are merely our thoughts and if our thoughts are mean then our words are mean therefore words do hurt! In not just in the gut wrenching, I'm going to cry kind of way either. Some words carry so much weight with them that they lead to a battle or a decline of a nation. Apostate touches on this point extremely well. In the preface, Kevin, quotes from Benjamin Wiker's book Ten Books That Screwed up the World and Five Others That Didn't Help. I'll share that portion with you, "...the story of the Scottish essayist, Thomas Carlyle. He "was once scolded at a dinner party for endlessly chattering about books: 'Ideas, Mr. Carlyle, ideas, nothing but ideas!' To which he replied, 'There was once a man called Rousseua who wrote a book containing nothing but ideas. The second edition was bound in the skins of those who laughed at the first.'"
Cleverly, Carlyle proves my point that words hurt.

Kevin devotes a whole chapter to exposing Rousseua and the place he played in the destruction of the christian west. Along with Rousseua men such as Thomas Aquinas, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, John Dewey, William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, and John Steinbeck are covered. There are more that I didn't list. The author has sincerely done his homework as he documents the facts for each of the men. Every I is dotted and T is crossed. The layout of the book is the authors words among the top of the page and the source he refrences is listed at the bottom of the page in smaller print. This is convient for the reader. You don't have to flip back and foward checking what the itty bitty ol refrence number stands for.



As you start with Thomas Aquinas and work your way on down you'll began to connect the dots. History is just one big web. Each part connects in this way or that way. I think it would be a good idea for high schoolers to work their way through this book, with their parents of course, and put together a simple timeline of the men. That would be a great visual aid.

Kevin goes on a brief rant against John Steinbeck's book Of Mice and Men. I, personally, happen to agree with him on this. In my opinion, John Steinbeck's book creates situational ethics. If you don't know what that is allow me to explain. In a nutshell it's saying there is no absolutes. In a way, it's relativism. Depending on the situation this may or not may be ok. The Bible makes it clear that there are absolutes. Homeschoolers, get this book, read through it, dwell on it, and seriously consider what you put on your shelf. Apostate emphasizes over and over again that ideas, mere words, are powerful. Guard your minds and your children's minds!

Each of the men discussed in the book were raised in christian homes. They rebelled and filled the world with their hatred for God. They're apostate. Again, as I said earlier, Kevin has done his homework. He quotes biographies and historians so none of his thoughts are based on speculation. The book is well documented and researched. Kevin ends the book by encouraging Christians to raise their children up in holiness, in the fear and admonition of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Apostate is a fairly easy read having 302 pages broken into 19 chapters and 3 parts. That page count includes the preface which is 10 pages long. Out of five stars I give the book five. It will remain on my shelf and definitely be one I discuss with others. It's thought provoking. In my opinion, a high schooler could use this book as a history/worldview curriculum.

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to read because I think most of us that read it will realize that we may not be living in the reality of God's word. Swanson gives the reader warning that this is a difficult read, however, I think it explains how the apostate has occurred in the church and in the western world. It was a gradual decline, however, in some genres, it has taken a nose dive. In our education is one that surprised me. He explains very well that our education is now set up for secular and our children are exposed daily to the ridicule of God and His word. Our youth do not have a handle on sound doctrine, the purpose of family, and the glory of God. Even youth that are home-schooled may find them selves taken in by "humanism." Humanism is a battle between God and man on whether who will be god. Our knowledge of who God is critical. So many examples in the word of God for us today and we still are making god in our image instead of living in His image. For the humanist his final standard is man himself, for the Christian that follows after God, God is the standard for living. The problem with humanist view is that there are billion other humans that their view is their own standard and own individual rights so in the end, whoever is the strongest will rule and dictate. History has shown the Hilter's and the Stalins and will continue to produce as we live in apostate of who God is.

How did this happen? The stats are staggering and the decline is obvious and show our disregard for God. Apostasy is a battle of ideals, of the mind and ultimately our soul. Each chapter is a influence of the apostasy that we are in. From Thomas Aquinas to John Dewey and with a few notables in between.

The question for you is this book worth the read and time to comtemplate apostatsy in my own life and the world around me. Jesus warned us in Revelations of this very thing. We are to overcome with our believe and our faith in who God is in the word. With the warning from Jesus himself and the apostles, this is a read for our times. It answers the question on how we got to where we are and how we can live with apostasy around us. Also most important, how we can combat it.

A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC). I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book that examines the men who are responsible for the decline of Christian influence on western civilization. These men were raised in the Christian faith or were at least familiar with it, but rebelled and have caused a profound destructive influence on cultures and countries all over the world. Many of these are considered the "great thinkers," but when you look at their impact, you see the destruction they've brought about. The book is divided into three sections. The first section discusses worldviews before studying the different thinkers chronologically, starting with Thomas Aquinas in the 1200's and ending with Jean-Paul Sartre in the 1900's. One idea from Aquinas was a starting point for many of these men and they built on each other's ideas through the years. Their influence, lives, and philosophy are explained. The second section focuses on writers from Shakespeare to Twain to Hemingway. Their lives are discussed and some of their writings are examined to discern what their worldviews really were and what they communicated through their stories. Section three shows how many musicians today are selling these same ideas of existentialism and humanism through their music.

I've heard of most, if not all of these men, and even read some of them in school, and I am familiar with some of their ideas. Of course, what I learned in college about them was not nearly as informative as this book. It was very eye-opening and sad to see the way they lived their lives and chilling to realize what a lasting negative impact they have had on the world. Their ideas have caused murder on a massive scale, not to mention hopelessness, loss of morality, etc. It's frustrating to see how far down we've gone, but the author reminds us that God is still in control. This book is well-written and Swanson's argument well laid out. I think this should be a must-read for everyone, from teenagers on, because we need to realize how much these dangerous ideas are embedded in our culture so we can recognize the truth and take a stand when we see them.

I received this book free from Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review.

[Roger Leonhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not your usual Christian book. Here, the author shows us the reason that the world is in the state it is today. Ideas have consequences. Your worldview is demonstrated in how you live you life.

In his intriguing book, Kevin Swanson takes us through the lives of apostate men who have changed our world for the worse. Some of the darkest times in history come from men who have rejected God. When they reject God, they also reject His law. In rejecting His law, they turn everything good into evil and vise versa.

I have said more than one time that in today’s world, everything I was taught as a child to be good is now considered evil. Growing up in Church, I saw people living for God as great men and women who were living a noble life. I saw serving God as an ultimate good. Today you are looked upon as a closed minded hate filled bigot.

Swanson gives us a list of men who pioneered every evil movement in the last 800 years. Whether it is abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, or government control of the family, these men knew exactly what they wanted to accomplish.

You say this is a conspiracy theory? A conspiracy theory is something hidden behind closed doors. These men were open about their hatred of God and his word. They hated God and anything to do with Him.

Whether it is philosophy, literature, or education, Satan has his deceived followers. Swanson gives us an overview of men like John Dewey, Friedrich Nietzsche, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, and many others. We see their desires to ride this world of every vestige of Christianity.

This is a must read book. If you can not understand why our government wants to control every detail of our life or why your freedoms are being taken away, this book will show you.

I highly recommend it and give it a 5 out of 5 stars.

I received this book, free of charge, from Generations with Vision and Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review.