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The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family's Quest to Craft a Christian Nation
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
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 have 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 have 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.
Audible Audio
Published July 14, 2026
About the author
Michael Blanding
13 books105 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 - 30 of 74 reviews
July 28, 2026
I went in expecting something juicier, or at least more nefarious, but really this is just another example of terrible billionaires conflating capitalism with Christianity.
Michael Blanding did an excellent job. It’s well researched, and I found the history of how the Green family acquired its art collection genuinely interesting. Ultimately, though, I wasn’t particularly surprised by any of it.
I have very little patience for the Cult of Organized Religion, which always seems to do vastly more harm than good. The Green family isn’t special. They certainly don’t care about arts and crafts, and they care about “family” and “faith” only when it serves them. This book mostly reaffirmed my bleak outlook.
Michael Blanding did an excellent job. It’s well researched, and I found the history of how the Green family acquired its art collection genuinely interesting. Ultimately, though, I wasn’t particularly surprised by any of it.
I have very little patience for the Cult of Organized Religion, which always seems to do vastly more harm than good. The Green family isn’t special. They certainly don’t care about arts and crafts, and they care about “family” and “faith” only when it serves them. This book mostly reaffirmed my bleak outlook.
October 26, 2026
Coming from a mixed religious background, both parents being from two major faiths, I was reluctant to read this book. I was afraid there would be a lot of evangelical references to the bible which would make it a tedious read. However, it was quite the opposite of what I expected.
Michael Blanding’s “The Gospel According To Hobby Lobby”, is a well-researched exposé of the Green family, how they came to be a multi-billion-dollar company using their evangelical faith to shape their viewpoint.
The book delves deep into legal and ethical controversies regarding the antiquities trafficking from Egypt and Iraq during the Arab Spring. Blanding questions the unethical combination of how fundamental religious ideology, money and power can be exploited and corrupted to fit a very narrow worldview.
This is not a novel where the ending is nice and tidy. It’s investigative journalism that shines light onto a family that has been a powerhouse in the right-wing, evangelical American psyche.
In short. It examines the fallout of the Green family and the antiquity world.
Happy Reading 🍷
Michael Blanding’s “The Gospel According To Hobby Lobby”, is a well-researched exposé of the Green family, how they came to be a multi-billion-dollar company using their evangelical faith to shape their viewpoint.
The book delves deep into legal and ethical controversies regarding the antiquities trafficking from Egypt and Iraq during the Arab Spring. Blanding questions the unethical combination of how fundamental religious ideology, money and power can be exploited and corrupted to fit a very narrow worldview.
This is not a novel where the ending is nice and tidy. It’s investigative journalism that shines light onto a family that has been a powerhouse in the right-wing, evangelical American psyche.
In short. It examines the fallout of the Green family and the antiquity world.
Happy Reading 🍷
July 15, 2026
The gospel according to hobby lobby is a gripping tale about how mommy issues can ruin the political landscape of a country for generations. But in all seriousness, Blanding takes the reader on a journey not only detailing the history of the rise of evangelicals in the United States but an epic crime drama full with shady deals, forgeries and backstabbing. Get ready for a thrilling ride!
August 11, 2026
That this book begins with seizing a tablet from the original Epic of Gilgamesh reinforces that Gilgamesh has been the myth to undergird this year (There are Rivers in the Sky, a newer Gilgamesh translation) and that I need to re read Is a River Alive? immediately (which I want to do anyway). I think it's wild, too, that this family, the Greens, patriarchs of Hobby Lobby, known to discriminate against queer folks, were once in possession of a Gilgamesh dream tablet, where he prophesies the coming of Enkidu, his Queequeg, his "bosom friend".
Prior even really to the Greens, this book opens with the introduction to Holiness and Pentecostalism, which gave me all the exercise in red flag waving I needed to get primed for this wild ride, though the iteration they described allowed women to preach, which is distinct from the ones I've known (thinking of you, Beth Barr). The absolute poverty so many of these families lived in in the early days of Pentecostalism, e.g. insisting on giving 10% of their income despite needing to feed six kids, and the transition to a faith of material plenty ("gospel of prosperity") and into televangelism gives me whiplash, but I appear in the minority of this opinion. While tithing was "just what people did," it also seemed to legitimize the otherworldly wealth that some families later burst into as a product of commercializing their evangelicalism. To argue that the bible is explicitly capitalistic, advance "Biblical economics," and relate the gospel through various relationships of ownership feels both wildly dissonant from the core of love thy neighbor, and also deeply American.
What I find particularly wild is that the Greens seem to think God literally talks to them, modern English sarcasm included, gives continuously effective business advice, and cares about their financial success as an extension of his own kingdom and wonders. "God cares about employee retention," is a real quote from their patriarch, David. Every swing of the economy or legislation was interpreted as something they were doing right.
Perhaps as such, Greens have donated far more than 500 million dollars of their vast wealth to religious charities (and the very, very occasional secular organization). Imagine the impact of that money in poverty / harm reduction, environmental sustainability, or protection. Rather, most of it was donated to translate and distribute Bibles around the globe, or support religious leaders, ideologues, and Christian universities. They are also very consistent in their homophobia, patriarchal, anti-abortion stance, belief that the founders were Christians, and that the constitution is rooted in Christian tenets/forms a Christian nation, and other wild contradictions, like that Obamacare is not Christ-like because it could propagate abortion, and that the bible is inherently capitalistic / anti-communism. They are literally responsible for companies being able to deny covering birth control; in some ways, their business has more rights than actual people, and legitimizes legislative discrimination against whoever they deem sinful. I just don't understand how people who can insist upon the necessity of as many humans as possible reading the Bible, can then insist it swears we should restrict people from access to comprehensive healthcare, or deem them as unworthy of love, or salvation based on a litany of human criteria. They also ferociously acquired loads of both legitimate and illegitimate religious artifacts from across the globe (like the Gilgamesh tablet, which, thank goodness, has been returned to Iraq) with an almost absurd naïveté toward both provenance and UNESCO regulations, all in the name of the undeniable legitimacy of the Bible, demonstrating a level of ignorance or hypocrisy that can only fall under the very human criteria they decry so readily in others. I guess this explains their commitment to Donald Trump.
At the beginning of the book, a man was quoted as saying, "I am convinced that God did not make grey. When it comes to moral issues, there is only black of white." If true, there is only one way to classify the type of people these folks are: deluded billionaires. Despite this, we must hold with the contradiction that all evidence thereof is exactly what the Greens et al. would put forth as their litany of goodness. Truly, it boggles the mind how folks can be both ignorantly and willfully cruel, and insist upon the purity of their own plume. I think Jesus would physically recoil if he could see how people contort his doctrine to justify that cruelty.
Prior even really to the Greens, this book opens with the introduction to Holiness and Pentecostalism, which gave me all the exercise in red flag waving I needed to get primed for this wild ride, though the iteration they described allowed women to preach, which is distinct from the ones I've known (thinking of you, Beth Barr). The absolute poverty so many of these families lived in in the early days of Pentecostalism, e.g. insisting on giving 10% of their income despite needing to feed six kids, and the transition to a faith of material plenty ("gospel of prosperity") and into televangelism gives me whiplash, but I appear in the minority of this opinion. While tithing was "just what people did," it also seemed to legitimize the otherworldly wealth that some families later burst into as a product of commercializing their evangelicalism. To argue that the bible is explicitly capitalistic, advance "Biblical economics," and relate the gospel through various relationships of ownership feels both wildly dissonant from the core of love thy neighbor, and also deeply American.
What I find particularly wild is that the Greens seem to think God literally talks to them, modern English sarcasm included, gives continuously effective business advice, and cares about their financial success as an extension of his own kingdom and wonders. "God cares about employee retention," is a real quote from their patriarch, David. Every swing of the economy or legislation was interpreted as something they were doing right.
Perhaps as such, Greens have donated far more than 500 million dollars of their vast wealth to religious charities (and the very, very occasional secular organization). Imagine the impact of that money in poverty / harm reduction, environmental sustainability, or protection. Rather, most of it was donated to translate and distribute Bibles around the globe, or support religious leaders, ideologues, and Christian universities. They are also very consistent in their homophobia, patriarchal, anti-abortion stance, belief that the founders were Christians, and that the constitution is rooted in Christian tenets/forms a Christian nation, and other wild contradictions, like that Obamacare is not Christ-like because it could propagate abortion, and that the bible is inherently capitalistic / anti-communism. They are literally responsible for companies being able to deny covering birth control; in some ways, their business has more rights than actual people, and legitimizes legislative discrimination against whoever they deem sinful. I just don't understand how people who can insist upon the necessity of as many humans as possible reading the Bible, can then insist it swears we should restrict people from access to comprehensive healthcare, or deem them as unworthy of love, or salvation based on a litany of human criteria. They also ferociously acquired loads of both legitimate and illegitimate religious artifacts from across the globe (like the Gilgamesh tablet, which, thank goodness, has been returned to Iraq) with an almost absurd naïveté toward both provenance and UNESCO regulations, all in the name of the undeniable legitimacy of the Bible, demonstrating a level of ignorance or hypocrisy that can only fall under the very human criteria they decry so readily in others. I guess this explains their commitment to Donald Trump.
At the beginning of the book, a man was quoted as saying, "I am convinced that God did not make grey. When it comes to moral issues, there is only black of white." If true, there is only one way to classify the type of people these folks are: deluded billionaires. Despite this, we must hold with the contradiction that all evidence thereof is exactly what the Greens et al. would put forth as their litany of goodness. Truly, it boggles the mind how folks can be both ignorantly and willfully cruel, and insist upon the purity of their own plume. I think Jesus would physically recoil if he could see how people contort his doctrine to justify that cruelty.
September 13, 2026
In case anyone was wondering, yes, "Thou shalt not steal" does cover antiquities theft, too. Also, if you're going to do Biblical scholarship, do it in an organized way. The Christian nationalism is a given; the poor scholarship is just kicking America while she's down.
July 20, 2026
A Thoughtful, Engaging, and Deeply Illuminating Read
Michael Blanding’s The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby is a fascinating, sharply written, and highly compelling exploration of faith, business, power, and American culture. Blanding has a gift for taking a subject that could easily become one-dimensional
and instead presenting it with nuance, clarity, and narrative energy.
What makes the book so impressive is its balance. It is not merely a story about a company, a court case, or a family’s religious convictions—it is a broader look at how private belief can shape public life, corporate identity, philanthropy, politics, and cultural
institutions. Blanding writes with a journalist’s eye for detail and a storyteller’s sense of momentum, making the book both informative and genuinely enjoyable to read.
The book is especially strong in the way it connects individual decisions to larger national questions. Whether discussing religion in the marketplace, the role of corporate influence, or the complicated intersection of faith and public policy, Blanding keeps
the reader engaged without ever losing sight of the human dimension of the story.
Clear, intelligent, and absorbing, The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby is an excellent read for anyone interested in religion, business ethics, American politics, or the cultural forces shaping modern public life. It is thoughtful, timely, and memorable—a
book that leaves readers with plenty to think about long after the final page.
Michael Blanding’s The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby is a fascinating, sharply written, and highly compelling exploration of faith, business, power, and American culture. Blanding has a gift for taking a subject that could easily become one-dimensional
and instead presenting it with nuance, clarity, and narrative energy.
What makes the book so impressive is its balance. It is not merely a story about a company, a court case, or a family’s religious convictions—it is a broader look at how private belief can shape public life, corporate identity, philanthropy, politics, and cultural
institutions. Blanding writes with a journalist’s eye for detail and a storyteller’s sense of momentum, making the book both informative and genuinely enjoyable to read.
The book is especially strong in the way it connects individual decisions to larger national questions. Whether discussing religion in the marketplace, the role of corporate influence, or the complicated intersection of faith and public policy, Blanding keeps
the reader engaged without ever losing sight of the human dimension of the story.
Clear, intelligent, and absorbing, The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby is an excellent read for anyone interested in religion, business ethics, American politics, or the cultural forces shaping modern public life. It is thoughtful, timely, and memorable—a
book that leaves readers with plenty to think about long after the final page.
July 30, 2026
Audiobook!
It’s actually lame that so many guys with mommy issues are running this country and trying to make it a “Christian” nation—looking at you, David Green! Sorry you were never enough for your mom but why is that my problem!
Honestly, my only criticism here is that I wish there had been a bit more about the kids and grandkids especially. It’s truly bizarre to me that it sounds like none of the subsequent generations have rebelled on any level?? I guess being rich is more important to them?? But like none of you Gen Z kids are liberal? That’s crazy to me?
Very interesting though, he does an excellent job of tracing through one family the rise of evangelicalism and Christian nationalism in America and how it came to dominate politics. I appreciate the way he calls them out subtly, while still discussing how they seem to genuinely hold these beliefs. That almost disturbs me more though, personally. This stuff is really start to fill me with rage and impatience though. Like, I am actually tired of being respectful to these weirdos! Like at one point he discusses a WI rep who quoted the Bible vis a vis trans kids, that they are corrupting the imageo dei of God by transitioning. To that I say—who cares? Genuinely, who gives a shit? If someone doesn’t believe in god or these peoples idea of god, why on earth would they care what that fancy book might say?
#Startsaying”who gives a shit about the word of god in government”totheseevangelical/pentecostal/bible literalists2026 !! They’re already mad let’s make them madder!!!
It’s actually lame that so many guys with mommy issues are running this country and trying to make it a “Christian” nation—looking at you, David Green! Sorry you were never enough for your mom but why is that my problem!
Honestly, my only criticism here is that I wish there had been a bit more about the kids and grandkids especially. It’s truly bizarre to me that it sounds like none of the subsequent generations have rebelled on any level?? I guess being rich is more important to them?? But like none of you Gen Z kids are liberal? That’s crazy to me?
Very interesting though, he does an excellent job of tracing through one family the rise of evangelicalism and Christian nationalism in America and how it came to dominate politics. I appreciate the way he calls them out subtly, while still discussing how they seem to genuinely hold these beliefs. That almost disturbs me more though, personally. This stuff is really start to fill me with rage and impatience though. Like, I am actually tired of being respectful to these weirdos! Like at one point he discusses a WI rep who quoted the Bible vis a vis trans kids, that they are corrupting the imageo dei of God by transitioning. To that I say—who cares? Genuinely, who gives a shit? If someone doesn’t believe in god or these peoples idea of god, why on earth would they care what that fancy book might say?
#Startsaying”who gives a shit about the word of god in government”totheseevangelical/pentecostal/bible literalists2026 !! They’re already mad let’s make them madder!!!
August 14, 2026
Certified Hobby Lobby hater here so I was really excited to get this. This book is really, really well researched and has a ton of information. I was really interested in the story of the Greens and I found the mommy issues facet to be particularly interesting. Because there’s so much packed into a relatively short book, it did feel dense at times. There were a lot of names that would pop up just here and there, and sometimes I forgot who was doing what. Otherwise a really informative and enjoyable read!
August 19, 2026
I already knew bits and pieces of this but it's really nefarious shit!!!
October 21, 2026
Holy cow! I knew that I shouldn't shop at Hobby Lobby because of their refusal to provide reproductive health care for their employees. But I had no idea how far the Green family--the Hobby Lobby founder and family--were into turning the U.S. into a Christian nation. From putting Jesus in their newspaper holiday ads to funding missionaries to building the Museum of the Bible and displaying ill-gotten artifacts to creating Christian syllabi for schools to supporting evangelical politicians... Well, the list goes on. Their primary quest is to prove that the bible is literal, the word of God, and everything in it happened as it was portrayed. This insightful investigation is as fascinating as it is horrifying!
October 23, 2026
Once hobby lobby’s founder, david green, amassed a sufficient fortune to support his family for many generations to come (current net worth over $14B and counting), he turned over HL’s future earnings to a trust that supports christian nationalism causes. When you buy that cute little whatsit or cheap yarn or xmas decorations at HL, you are directly contributing to the destruction of LGBTQ rights (and sometimes LGBTQ PEOPLE) and women’s abortion rights in all circumstances. You’re supporting christian nationalism in all its forms, for all US people regardless of their own traditions or beliefs. If you’re not comfortable forcing christian beliefs and policies on all US people at all times and in all places, stop buying shit at HL.
October 10, 2026
Ugh, this was a heavy read. I found this quite informative but a bit exhausting to read. Ultimately, investigative work that interrogates how Christians use their power and resources to evangelize is especially important right now. We see so many religious individuals using their power to remove rights from others, especially people of color, women, and LGBTQ individuals. Hearing the specifics of how the Green family has tried (and often succeeded) to do so through their institutional power with Hobby Lobby, the Bible Museum, and their many philanthropic donations is overwhelming. I feel so disturbed at the ways that Christians harm others by forcing their beliefs on them. This was a detailed deep dive into the ways a very wealthy and influential family has done so. It makes me feel quite secure in my continued boycott of Hobby Lobby and more steadfast in standing against these kinds of harm. I just genuinely don’t believe this is what Jesus teaches, Biblical inconsistencies or not. This also makes me curious about reading more on historical inconsistencies in Biblical texts. The author tools some long and important deviations into this subject. As someone who reads the Bible every year, it feels important to dive into more details about how the text has been created and translated over time.
August 19, 2026
Having grown up Catholic, and knowing of at least two family members sexually abused by Catholic priests, I want to not care about organized religion. I especially don’t want to have to care about Christian Nationalism. However, Blanding makes an extremely compelling case for why the rise of Christian Nationalist money and power matters in the United States. If we do not try to understand, we passively allow for the snowball of Christian extremism to keep rolling down hill, gaining more power and control along the way, bulldozing inalienable rights and freedoms.
I wish for every single politician and voter to read this book, especially before the November 2026 mid-term election. Christian Nationalists such as Hegseth and Mike Johnson should be made to refute what Blanding has proven to be the drive to collapse the separation of church and state; to turn the U.S. into a Christian Nation. Let’s force them to name their actions for what they are. 1/3 of the population is a lot, but it is not the majority. Americans as a whole do not want this.
Democrats need to stop pointing fingers at one another, and understand that they’ve been outsmarted, out-funded, and out-maneuvered. Blanding’s book explains how and why, and in so doing, provides answers as to how to shift the U.S. back to its original democratic roots. Albeit flawed, the U.S. has always had a compelling story at its core; the Greens should not be allowed to re-write its history and future.
Blanding’s book makes essential why we must care and why we must understand the ways in which the Greens’ religious beliefs have, and will continue to, shape the U.S. if, as a country, we continue to purchase the crap the Greens are selling to the American people.
I wish for every single politician and voter to read this book, especially before the November 2026 mid-term election. Christian Nationalists such as Hegseth and Mike Johnson should be made to refute what Blanding has proven to be the drive to collapse the separation of church and state; to turn the U.S. into a Christian Nation. Let’s force them to name their actions for what they are. 1/3 of the population is a lot, but it is not the majority. Americans as a whole do not want this.
Democrats need to stop pointing fingers at one another, and understand that they’ve been outsmarted, out-funded, and out-maneuvered. Blanding’s book explains how and why, and in so doing, provides answers as to how to shift the U.S. back to its original democratic roots. Albeit flawed, the U.S. has always had a compelling story at its core; the Greens should not be allowed to re-write its history and future.
Blanding’s book makes essential why we must care and why we must understand the ways in which the Greens’ religious beliefs have, and will continue to, shape the U.S. if, as a country, we continue to purchase the crap the Greens are selling to the American people.
September 16, 2026
I learned SO. MUCH. Thank you for not only the information on the Green family, but also education on the actual biblical history on WHY they are the way they are. Incredible work, everyone should read.
September 30, 2026
I learned so much about my previous employers reading this. I knew they were crazy and cheap (they changed health insurance companies every single year I was there). I just didn't realize how deep it went. Can you say mommy issues? I worked for the art/creative department at corporate under David's daughter Darsee for 7 years. It was an incredibly toxic environment and by the end I was showing arthritis like issues in my fingers and my entire body hurt. I cried on Monday mornings, I hated going to work there. I remember when the pandemic hit. The employees were scared, we didn't know what to expect or how we could safely work squished in on top of one another. I remember the email they sent out with Barbara's weird vision and telling us to pray the virus away. It was insulting to know your "Christian" employer wasn't taking your safety seriously. Shortly after that though they sent us home to work remotely. As a photo editor that was perfect for me, I loved what I did I just hated the environment. That was a Monday. By Friday, some of us were locked out of the servers. We couldn't upload our work and no one was answering our emails. By Friday afternoon we were unemployed and without health insurance in the midst of a global pandemic and we were informed of this THROUGH AN E-MAIL. We weren't even afforded the closure of a Zoom meeting with HR. Seeing on the page just how much money this family truly had enrages me all over again. They could have furloughed us so we could still receive health care. They could have laid us off, but given us severance pay along with several months of health insurance like my husband's job did. They could have done the Christ like thing and taken care of their employees by at least providing them temporary healthcare, but they didn't. They only cared about the profit margin. I saw no reflection of this deep religious faith in my time there, aside from the performative covid email and updates on their court cases. I wish the author would have included some interviews with employees of the retail stores and corporate offices to give a wider picture of the Green's business. Yes, they paid more than the minimum wage (which is still $7.50 in Oklahoma btw..) but is it worth it when the conditions in the warehouses are terrible and workplace culture in the departments are so toxic and stressful that young people were developing shingles and I was developing arthritis in my 20s. That pain went away after I no longer had to step on to that campus everyday. Perhaps they should spend less time searching for shady fragments of bible and actually read the ones they sell. Preferably the red words, but I'd settle for anything at this point.
Also, I would like to share this little story since it is almost October. The fact that Hobby Lobby doesn't sell Halloween decor anymore because "God told David it was evil" is laughable because I remember Darsee showing up to an October department meeting dressed as a witch holding a very distressed black cat that clearly wanted no part in any of it. I think some of the Green's brand of Christianity was performative for their daddy. (also she had a really weird thing with live animals, there are some of us still traumatized from a Christmas party dog show and word spread around OKC venues enough to where "no live animals" were a rule when the Hobby Lobby Art/Creative department came calling)
Also, I would like to share this little story since it is almost October. The fact that Hobby Lobby doesn't sell Halloween decor anymore because "God told David it was evil" is laughable because I remember Darsee showing up to an October department meeting dressed as a witch holding a very distressed black cat that clearly wanted no part in any of it. I think some of the Green's brand of Christianity was performative for their daddy. (also she had a really weird thing with live animals, there are some of us still traumatized from a Christmas party dog show and word spread around OKC venues enough to where "no live animals" were a rule when the Hobby Lobby Art/Creative department came calling)
August 6, 2026
This was thoroughly researched and delivered. I didn’t find anything particularly surprising in this, but it was interesting (and alarming) to hear how methodically the Green family built their wealth and drove policies through their influence.
August 22, 2026
An excellent read detailing the lives of the Green family behind Hobby Lobby and how they use their money to further Christian nationalism. The author leaves no stone unturned in his research and this provided a wide-reaching account of their many interests and the insidious ways that it influences the government. Don’t shop at Hobby Lobby!
September 26, 2026
This book is the terrible car accident that I can't look away from. For me, it is a description of a world that I don't understand, or believe in.
November 3, 2026
Well researched. A book that anyone shopping at Hobby Lobby should read before you spend another dollar there. Some important history of the rise of Christian nationalism here, too.
July 29, 2026
Absolutely riveting investigation of one family’s history of political influence, black market art crimes, and selling cheap crafts.
Truth is stranger than fiction in The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby and the intensity of painstaking research makes the truth undeniable. Blanding’s dry wit makes for easy reading of an otherwise incredibly dense subject matter.
Despite being full of basically the worst people ever, The Gospel paints a complete picture of the Green family without condemning them unnecessarily. The juxtaposition of descriptions like ‘mild-mannered’ and even ‘shy’ and the beliefs of the family make them even more shocking. The truth speaks for itself, as they say.
The Greens twisted path from holy roller local craft store owners to shepherds of Christian nationalism includes nearly every name in the Christian fundamentalism movement. For readers interested in fundies, this is a must read.
Blanding also shines light on the world of black market antiquities and the ongoing issues of international theft by the West. Somehow, he brings the history of a low quality craft store, Christian nationalism, antiquity theft, tax fraud, political manipulation, and corruption into one cohesive, addicting narrative. I enjoyed every minute.
Truth is stranger than fiction in The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby and the intensity of painstaking research makes the truth undeniable. Blanding’s dry wit makes for easy reading of an otherwise incredibly dense subject matter.
Despite being full of basically the worst people ever, The Gospel paints a complete picture of the Green family without condemning them unnecessarily. The juxtaposition of descriptions like ‘mild-mannered’ and even ‘shy’ and the beliefs of the family make them even more shocking. The truth speaks for itself, as they say.
The Greens twisted path from holy roller local craft store owners to shepherds of Christian nationalism includes nearly every name in the Christian fundamentalism movement. For readers interested in fundies, this is a must read.
Blanding also shines light on the world of black market antiquities and the ongoing issues of international theft by the West. Somehow, he brings the history of a low quality craft store, Christian nationalism, antiquity theft, tax fraud, political manipulation, and corruption into one cohesive, addicting narrative. I enjoyed every minute.
August 13, 2026
An indepth analysis of Hobby Lobby and the Green family. Part history of the Bible itself, and part analysis of those who follow it as the one and only truth, Mr Blanding does a very good job of showcasing what strong, and some may call misguided beliefs, and more money than one could hope for in a 100 lifetimes, does to people who want to convert those around them. He does not judge the Greens for their faith but instead shows how that faith, and a lot of money, can be used to change policy, influence others and drive a particular narrative as they expand their retail empire.
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.
August 26, 2026
I knew going into this that the Green family behind Hobby Lobby had very strong religious and political beliefs, but I had no idea how far their influence actually extended. This was incredibly well researched and ended up covering so much more than I expected, from the family itself and the way their faith shapes nearly every decision they make to politics, education, the Museum of the Bible, and some very questionable antiquities dealings.
What I appreciated most was how thorough the book felt. It is very clearly written from a critical perspective, but there is enough history and detail here that I never felt like I was simply being told what to think. Instead, I kept learning things that made me stop and go, “Wait, they did WHAT?” I am not interested in criticizing anyone simply for being deeply religious, but I do think it becomes fair game when those beliefs influence business decisions, political spending, and efforts to shape laws that affect everyone else.
This was eye-opening, occasionally infuriating, and much more expansive than I expected. If you are interested in the intersection of religion, money, business, and American politics, I would definitely recommend it.
What I appreciated most was how thorough the book felt. It is very clearly written from a critical perspective, but there is enough history and detail here that I never felt like I was simply being told what to think. Instead, I kept learning things that made me stop and go, “Wait, they did WHAT?” I am not interested in criticizing anyone simply for being deeply religious, but I do think it becomes fair game when those beliefs influence business decisions, political spending, and efforts to shape laws that affect everyone else.
This was eye-opening, occasionally infuriating, and much more expansive than I expected. If you are interested in the intersection of religion, money, business, and American politics, I would definitely recommend it.
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.
October 6, 2026
This was a really interesting read about Hobby Lobby's connections to conservative Christianity and, ultimately, Christian nationalism. I already knew about the issue with their health insurance and birth control, but didn't know about all the other things they did with smuggling artifacts, tax penalties from the IRS, and most recently their support for Trump, as well as the rise of AI-generated products/"art" being sold in their stores. Honestly, it can be really frustrating to read about all of the horrible things that Christian nationalism is bringing about but it's important to know about, call out and push against.
My one critique is that I feel the book could have been a little shorter or perhaps organized differently.
My one critique is that I feel the book could have been a little shorter or perhaps organized differently.
August 10, 2026
3.5 rounded up. There’s a lot going on in this book, and if you are aware as I have been of Hobby Lobby’s ventures both in the Supreme Court and Biblical archaeology, none of it will be very surprising. That Hobby Lobby uses its money for such distasteful ventures, and that it has been so influential in the rollback of specifically women’s reproductive rights, has been well known for a long time. But there’s something here about how tolerant we are willing to be over corporations using their largesse to push fundamentalist and restrictive worldviews on a population.
August 29, 2026
I enjoyed this book; it was extremely informative, and I found it interesting. I picked out this book originally thinking it was a true crime, but once I dug into it and read more into it I found out it was actually an expose on one of the biggest craft stores and Christian stores in this country. I also love this book because, after reading it, I received an email from the marketing manager about receiving a physical copy, and I agreed to have it as a shelf trophy, and I enjoy getting to reread the final copy of the book! I would highly recommend this book.
August 11, 2026
Blanding did a good job at explaining the history of this company, the theological elements that made my eyes cross, and the scandal that rocked the antiquities world. Very captivating and not talking down on those who are religious.
Impressive to actually get interviews with those related to the cases. As a crafter, too, David Green's disinterest in crafts (originally starting the store because of previous work with frames and understanding department stores) explains....a lot.....
Impressive to actually get interviews with those related to the cases. As a crafter, too, David Green's disinterest in crafts (originally starting the store because of previous work with frames and understanding department stores) explains....a lot.....
August 31, 2026
Great, extensive reporting. I was already familiar with a lot of Hobby Lobby's efforts but this really lays clear how purposeful the Green family has been in its efforts. There's absolutely no way they didn't know the artifacts they were buying were suspect (come on, not declaring them to customs, purposely mislabeling the boxes and shipping them to personal addresses...).
October 10, 2026
I thought this was a very interesting book. In the beginning, I was a little confused because I was thinking this was supposed to be this expose of the Green Family (Hobby Lobby) and I found that I liked them. While I am not an evangelical Christian and they would consider me a prime candidate for Hell with my brand of Christianity, I respect their strong belief in God and that all that matters in life is serving Him.
I felt that the author presented a pretty neutral book until about halfway and then the language definitely turned biased. I still read because I can read viewpoints that I don’t agree with. It was well-written.
I felt that the author presented a pretty neutral book until about halfway and then the language definitely turned biased. I still read because I can read viewpoints that I don’t agree with. It was well-written.
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