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The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family's Quest to Craft a Christian Nation
Not yet published
Expected 14 Jul 26A revelatory account of how the family behind Hobby Lobby rose to political prominence and used their influence—and fortune—to push a radical religious agenda
Hobby Lobby is a multibillion-dollar craft store chain with more than a thousand US locations, founded and owned by the Greens—an evangelical Christian family committed to establishing the Bible as the ultimate authority behind our laws and society.
In The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby, Michael Blanding reveals how the Greens have quietly yet effectively used their vast wealth to spread their beliefs throughout the US and beyond. They’ve run expensive, wide-reaching ad campaigns to inculcate biblical values and have propped up evangelical education through donations of money and land. They successfully fought a Supreme Court case to deny their employees insurance coverage for contraception and funneled millions of dollars to organizations working to overturn Roe v. Wade and to undermine LGBTQ rights. And, for their multimillion-dollar Museum of the Bible just blocks from the US Capitol building, they’ve acquired looted, stolen, and forged biblical antiquities from the Middle East. In a riveting exposé, Blanding traces the Greens’ efforts to sell their evangelical mission.
Captivating and disturbing, The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby exposes the pivotal role the Green family has played in funding and empowering America’s dangerous, ascendant Christian nationalist movement.
Hobby Lobby is a multibillion-dollar craft store chain with more than a thousand US locations, founded and owned by the Greens—an evangelical Christian family committed to establishing the Bible as the ultimate authority behind our laws and society.
In The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby, Michael Blanding reveals how the Greens have quietly yet effectively used their vast wealth to spread their beliefs throughout the US and beyond. They’ve run expensive, wide-reaching ad campaigns to inculcate biblical values and have propped up evangelical education through donations of money and land. They successfully fought a Supreme Court case to deny their employees insurance coverage for contraception and funneled millions of dollars to organizations working to overturn Roe v. Wade and to undermine LGBTQ rights. And, for their multimillion-dollar Museum of the Bible just blocks from the US Capitol building, they’ve acquired looted, stolen, and forged biblical antiquities from the Middle East. In a riveting exposé, Blanding traces the Greens’ efforts to sell their evangelical mission.
Captivating and disturbing, The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby exposes the pivotal role the Green family has played in funding and empowering America’s dangerous, ascendant Christian nationalist movement.
- GenresNonfiction
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 14, 2026
About the author
Michael Blanding
18 books93 followersMichael Blanding is a Boston-based investigative journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, WIRED, Slate, Smithsonian, The Boston Globe Magazine, and Boston magazine. His newest book, The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: A Billionaire Family's Quest to Craft a Christian Nation, is due out from PublicAffairs in July 2026. It is a revelatory account of how the family behind Hobby Lobby rose to political prominence and used their influence—and fortune—to push a radical religious agenda.
Blanding is also author of In Shakespeare's Shadow: A Rogue Scholar's Quest to Reveal the True Source Behind the World's Greatest Plays (2021), which won the International Book Award for Narrative Non-fiction; and The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps (2014), which was a New York Times bestseller and an NPR Book of the Year. A former journalism fellow at Brandeis University and Harvard Law School, he has taught feature writing at Tufts University, Emerson College, and GrubStreet Writers.
Blanding is also author of In Shakespeare's Shadow: A Rogue Scholar's Quest to Reveal the True Source Behind the World's Greatest Plays (2021), which won the International Book Award for Narrative Non-fiction; and The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps (2014), which was a New York Times bestseller and an NPR Book of the Year. A former journalism fellow at Brandeis University and Harvard Law School, he has taught feature writing at Tufts University, Emerson College, and GrubStreet Writers.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 30, 2026
Thank you to Net Galley and Publix Affairs for this ARC.
I found this book absolutely fascinating. It’s covers both the history of the Green family and the founding of Hobby Lobby. The book starts by covering the early life of David Green and his parents and how he ultimately got into the retail business. It continues to follow the growth of Hobby Lobby and the trials and tribulations the store and family faced.
The parts I found really interesting covered the history of Christian evangelicalism and how this influenced the way the Greens run Hobby Lobby and the causes they contribute too. It covers the pet cause each of David’s sons were interested in (one focuses on bible translations and religious films and the other focuses on ancient artifacts). It also covers the controversies they have faced.
I found it very readable and would highly recommend.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Okay, let's get this out of the way first. Yes, this is about the craft store Hobby Lobby. If you didn't know, the family who owns the stores is VERY Christian. Or, as I like to say, very Jesus-y. This is not a statement of judgment, but of fact. If you don't think so, well, just go ahead and read The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby by Michael Blanding. By the end, you will also agree that the Greens, who own Hobby Lobby, are true believers. They are also obsessive relic collectors, top-notch business people, and real estate moguls who donate more than they keep.
First, I think it is important to address the elephant in the room (which is technically a pun in this case), politics will be a part of this book. That said, I hate contemporary politics, but I think Blanding does an exceptional job staying on task. This task is explaining how the Greens are involved in all of this. You know whose side Blanding is on, but he stays in his lane as the author who is imparting the information to you. He never makes himself part of this story.
And he doesn't need to because goodness gracious the Greens are interesting. You can decide whether it is a good or bad interesting, but this book kept my attention straight through. Hobby Lobby was built from nothing and then became basically a bank and real estate dispenser for various evangelical Christian causes. In fact, probably all of the causes. Blanding starts from the beginning and explains where patriarch David Green came from, and how he built a crafts empire. This alone would be an interesting case study, but that would be to ignore the massive influence the Green family has on a sizeable portion of the American electorate. Oh, and how they run around grabbing up artifacts of dubious provenance like a less-informed Indiana Jones. Oh, and the media empire. I could go on.
As I said, there is a version of this book which is a tiresome screed against religion and evangelical politics. Blanding will call out inconsistencies when he sees them and that goes for both sides of the religious and political divide. However, the author never doubts the sincerity of the Greens. Yes, they may make some truly bad choices, but they are true believers who are trying to do what they believe to be right. They are not looking for power or an angle to better their lives at the expense of other people. They want to help people in their own very specific way.
Now, if their "help" is helping or harming, well that's why you should read this book. And to be clear, you should definitely read this book.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by PublicAffairs and NetGalley.)
First, I think it is important to address the elephant in the room (which is technically a pun in this case), politics will be a part of this book. That said, I hate contemporary politics, but I think Blanding does an exceptional job staying on task. This task is explaining how the Greens are involved in all of this. You know whose side Blanding is on, but he stays in his lane as the author who is imparting the information to you. He never makes himself part of this story.
And he doesn't need to because goodness gracious the Greens are interesting. You can decide whether it is a good or bad interesting, but this book kept my attention straight through. Hobby Lobby was built from nothing and then became basically a bank and real estate dispenser for various evangelical Christian causes. In fact, probably all of the causes. Blanding starts from the beginning and explains where patriarch David Green came from, and how he built a crafts empire. This alone would be an interesting case study, but that would be to ignore the massive influence the Green family has on a sizeable portion of the American electorate. Oh, and how they run around grabbing up artifacts of dubious provenance like a less-informed Indiana Jones. Oh, and the media empire. I could go on.
As I said, there is a version of this book which is a tiresome screed against religion and evangelical politics. Blanding will call out inconsistencies when he sees them and that goes for both sides of the religious and political divide. However, the author never doubts the sincerity of the Greens. Yes, they may make some truly bad choices, but they are true believers who are trying to do what they believe to be right. They are not looking for power or an angle to better their lives at the expense of other people. They want to help people in their own very specific way.
Now, if their "help" is helping or harming, well that's why you should read this book. And to be clear, you should definitely read this book.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by PublicAffairs and NetGalley.)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby by Michael Blanding is a well-researched deep-dive into the history and machinations of one of the richest families in America, and how they personally helped push Christian Nationalism in America.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told the story of how Hobby Lobby stole and forged ancient artifacts from other countries for their Bible museum to stunned acquaintances at parties. This is one of those news headlines that feels like it should’ve been a bigger deal than it was, and yet nobody seems to be aware that it even happened.
While I initially picked up this book to watch some of the wealthiest men in America trip over their big clown shoes as they commit one of the dumbest crimes in US history, It was also fascinating seeing how Evangelism got its start, and how the Green family used their money and influence to push their religious agenda and change politics in America for the worse. I was tuned in to most of the big shifts mentioned in this book as they happened, but I was shocked to learn just how hard Hobby Lobby was pressing its thumb on the scale behind the scenes. I had to take frequent breaks because I kept getting stress headaches. Everything that happens in this book is so frustrating and stupid, and I think it’s important that everyone knows about it.
Please read this book, this story is fascinating and completely insane.
Thank you PublicAffairs for providing this advance copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told the story of how Hobby Lobby stole and forged ancient artifacts from other countries for their Bible museum to stunned acquaintances at parties. This is one of those news headlines that feels like it should’ve been a bigger deal than it was, and yet nobody seems to be aware that it even happened.
While I initially picked up this book to watch some of the wealthiest men in America trip over their big clown shoes as they commit one of the dumbest crimes in US history, It was also fascinating seeing how Evangelism got its start, and how the Green family used their money and influence to push their religious agenda and change politics in America for the worse. I was tuned in to most of the big shifts mentioned in this book as they happened, but I was shocked to learn just how hard Hobby Lobby was pressing its thumb on the scale behind the scenes. I had to take frequent breaks because I kept getting stress headaches. Everything that happens in this book is so frustrating and stupid, and I think it’s important that everyone knows about it.
Please read this book, this story is fascinating and completely insane.
Thank you PublicAffairs for providing this advance copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The subject matter here is genuinely fascinating: a billionaire craft store family quietly bankrolling a Christian nationalist movement, acquiring looted biblical antiquities, and fighting Supreme Court cases, all while selling yarn and fake flowers.
Michael Blanding clearly did his homework, and the history of both the Green family empire and the broader evangelical movement is worth knowing.
But I kept bumping up against the same question: what is this book trying to be? Part corporate exposé, part family biography, part evangelical movement history, and it never quite commits. The structure suffers for it. Long biographical detours on prominent figures in the evangelical world sit awkwardly alongside the Greens’ own story, and the transitions between them are rough enough to give you whiplash.
The identity crisis of the book is a shame, and caused the pacing to suffer. It felt like it took me forever to finish, despite the content being interesting.
If the subjects interest you, definitely give the book a shot. I don't regret reading it.
Thanks to NetGalley and PublicAffairs publishing for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Michael Blanding clearly did his homework, and the history of both the Green family empire and the broader evangelical movement is worth knowing.
But I kept bumping up against the same question: what is this book trying to be? Part corporate exposé, part family biography, part evangelical movement history, and it never quite commits. The structure suffers for it. Long biographical detours on prominent figures in the evangelical world sit awkwardly alongside the Greens’ own story, and the transitions between them are rough enough to give you whiplash.
The identity crisis of the book is a shame, and caused the pacing to suffer. It felt like it took me forever to finish, despite the content being interesting.
If the subjects interest you, definitely give the book a shot. I don't regret reading it.
Thanks to NetGalley and PublicAffairs publishing for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and PublicAffairs for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Hobby Lobby is so much more than just a craft store. The family behind it all are major players in the white evangelical conservative movement, funneling billions of dollars in profit into organizations like the Heritage Foundation, the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), and the Museum of the Bible, to name a few. Their impact spans generations, and I was surprised to learn about all the family has had a hand in.
The book is dense with facts, and as someone with an evangelical background, the transitions between the Green family narrative and the history of Christian nationalism were fairly easy to follow, but I can see this being a challenge for readers who don't have any prior knowledge. I wish the ideas expressed in the author's epilogue were not just included at the end but woven into the body of the novel; this was the most powerful piece in my opinion. I think that would have made the intent of the book more clear to the general reader. Overall, I would rate this book a 3.5.
Anyways, shop Michaels!
Hobby Lobby is so much more than just a craft store. The family behind it all are major players in the white evangelical conservative movement, funneling billions of dollars in profit into organizations like the Heritage Foundation, the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), and the Museum of the Bible, to name a few. Their impact spans generations, and I was surprised to learn about all the family has had a hand in.
The book is dense with facts, and as someone with an evangelical background, the transitions between the Green family narrative and the history of Christian nationalism were fairly easy to follow, but I can see this being a challenge for readers who don't have any prior knowledge. I wish the ideas expressed in the author's epilogue were not just included at the end but woven into the body of the novel; this was the most powerful piece in my opinion. I think that would have made the intent of the book more clear to the general reader. Overall, I would rate this book a 3.5.
Anyways, shop Michaels!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A thoroughly researched and well written book about how the son of two Pentecostal preachers started and grew a multibillion dollar craft business based on his fundamentalist Christian views. It highlights his financial support for Christian Nationalism, his anti abortion stance (including contraception), and his fight against the LBGTQ+ community, Entire chapters devoted to an overview of the bible and the collection of biblical antiquities were enlightening as well as the hypocrisy of the Green family knowingly buying stolen artifacts while espousing Christian values. A must read for anyone interested in the Christian Nationalist movement or the role that fundamentalist Christians are playing in our national politics. Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and PublicAffairs for an advanced reader copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and PublicAffairs for an advanced reader copy.
June 27, 2026
The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby follows the Green family (founders of the craft store empire) through the rise of Christian Nationalism in America.
This book is incredibly academic - Blanding has certainly done his homework, which I can appreciate. I learned a lot about the ethics of archaeology, fundamental Christianity in America and the Bible.
If you're expecting a Righteous Gemstones style exposé of sex and drugs (I was!!), you will be disappointed. The Green family is squeaky clean, just a little naïve & overconfident with an extremely simplistic view of the world. Maybe that's what so dangerous about the Greens - their poltical power is understated but impactful.
If Blanding's goal was for me to never shop at Hobby Lobby ever again, he succeeded.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair review
This book is incredibly academic - Blanding has certainly done his homework, which I can appreciate. I learned a lot about the ethics of archaeology, fundamental Christianity in America and the Bible.
If you're expecting a Righteous Gemstones style exposé of sex and drugs (I was!!), you will be disappointed. The Green family is squeaky clean, just a little naïve & overconfident with an extremely simplistic view of the world. Maybe that's what so dangerous about the Greens - their poltical power is understated but impactful.
If Blanding's goal was for me to never shop at Hobby Lobby ever again, he succeeded.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair review
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and @PublicAffairs for this ARC. This book covers the Green family and the start of Hobby Lobby and Mardels. It begins with David Green's strong Pentecostal upbringing and how it shaped his beliefs. Everyone loves Hobby Lobby and Mardels and they have created a huge business that also supports many worthy causes. However, I think businesses should stay out of politics and they are big benefactors in political affairs. The mass majority of this book explains the start of the Museum of the Bible in WDC and how the artifacts were found or purchased which I thought was a little mundane. This author did a vast amount of research and it is worth a read. #TheGospelAccordingtoHobbyLobby #MichaelBlanding #PublicAffairs #July2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I thought this was a well-researched and fairly even handed look at the family who owns Hobby Lobby and their firm conviction that they are meant to convert others to Christianity. I appreciated the context the author provides that suggests that their interpretation of things is probably wrong. And even though some people may interpret their actions as evil, the author only ever presents the family as people who are truly living out what they believe and trying to do what they believe is best for others as a result of those beliefs.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book is absolutely loaded with information about Hobby Lobby and all the drama that has come with it. There is so much info but it’s laid out in a way that I could handle - the start of HL, the things in between, and everything up till the present day. The reporting is so thorough and a lot of things are explained with facts and historical tidbits, which helped especially to explain some of their religious beliefs. I was in awe by the time I got to the final page. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at one of the most successful and influential companies in the country. It explores how faith, business, and corporate culture intersect, giving readers a deeper understanding of the values and decisions shaping the brand. Thought-provoking and insightful, it sheds light on the broader impact of corporate ideology in America.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. Look for this book on July 14th!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. Look for this book on July 14th!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Many thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of this fascinating book. Much of it is a detailed history of evangelism in the US to the current day. The author does a great job of being objective while pointing out several areas of hypocrisy. I wasn't aware of the massive support that the Hobby Lobby owners give to questionable organizations and will boycott them in the future.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Very well-written and insightful tell-all about the secrets of the family behind Hobby Lobby and their political aims. 5 stars. tysm for the E-ARC.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews