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American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy
A chilling and urgently needed exposé on the forces pushing American politics and religion toward a post-constitutional autocracy
From Silicon Valley boardrooms to rural pulpits, from Catholic monasteries to Beltway think tanks and Project 2025, a convergence is underway. Reactionary Catholics dream of a new Christendom. Protestant pastors invoke divine right over democratic rule. Tech billionaires, led by the likes of Peter Thiel, argue that freedom and democracy are incompatible. Their solution? A singular ruler to bring “order” out of what they see as liberal chaos.
With a theologian’s sensibility, a journalist’s touch, and a historian’s eye for how movements evolve and adapt, Dr. Bradley B. Onishi traces the strange alliance between spiritual warfare and Silicon Valley libertarianism. At the center of it all is the desire for an unbound executive―one man, beyond checks, beyond balance, beyond democracy. This isn’t nostalgia for the 1950s. It’s an organized attempt to abandon the American experiment altogether. A former insider turned academic expert, Onishi brings unmatched depth to this investigation―tracing his own path from evangelical pastor to co-host of Straight White American Jesus, the nation’s leading religion and politics podcast.
As the 2024 election fades into history and a new political order takes shape, American Caesar is not just a warning. It’s a map of how we got here―and a call to act before the Republic as we know it becomes just another chapter in a forgotten history book.
From Silicon Valley boardrooms to rural pulpits, from Catholic monasteries to Beltway think tanks and Project 2025, a convergence is underway. Reactionary Catholics dream of a new Christendom. Protestant pastors invoke divine right over democratic rule. Tech billionaires, led by the likes of Peter Thiel, argue that freedom and democracy are incompatible. Their solution? A singular ruler to bring “order” out of what they see as liberal chaos.
With a theologian’s sensibility, a journalist’s touch, and a historian’s eye for how movements evolve and adapt, Dr. Bradley B. Onishi traces the strange alliance between spiritual warfare and Silicon Valley libertarianism. At the center of it all is the desire for an unbound executive―one man, beyond checks, beyond balance, beyond democracy. This isn’t nostalgia for the 1950s. It’s an organized attempt to abandon the American experiment altogether. A former insider turned academic expert, Onishi brings unmatched depth to this investigation―tracing his own path from evangelical pastor to co-host of Straight White American Jesus, the nation’s leading religion and politics podcast.
As the 2024 election fades into history and a new political order takes shape, American Caesar is not just a warning. It’s a map of how we got here―and a call to act before the Republic as we know it becomes just another chapter in a forgotten history book.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published September 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 3, 2026
“… White Christians lost their demographic majority and executive exclusivity. Since then, Protestant, Catholic, and technocratic figures have emerged to give voice to a Western Christian supremacy bent on regaining power through nondemocratic means, fortifying White identity by denying the political equality of those not like them, and calling for the political denigration – and in some cases, excision – of non-Christian people.”
This book was really heavy going for me, and I can’t say that I enjoyed it, and it was frightening. What I took from it is that a huge, connected and wealthy collection of white, Christian men have convinced themselves that they are vastly superior to everyone else on earth. That God has decreed that they are meant to rule everyone else (for their own good, of course). Accordingly, one of these chosen few should be anointed to rule following biblical principles (which apparently do not include anything like empathy, caring, kindness, honesty or self sacrifice).
Amazingly, in Trump this group found the perfect useful idiot and convinced a bunch of dupes to elect him. That was the wedge they needed to take over the US, but they have designs on the rest of the world. While Trump has no ideology and thus can be easily manipulated so long as he gets paid, Vance has not only ideology but craven ambition. The rest of us should all be very afraid.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
This book was really heavy going for me, and I can’t say that I enjoyed it, and it was frightening. What I took from it is that a huge, connected and wealthy collection of white, Christian men have convinced themselves that they are vastly superior to everyone else on earth. That God has decreed that they are meant to rule everyone else (for their own good, of course). Accordingly, one of these chosen few should be anointed to rule following biblical principles (which apparently do not include anything like empathy, caring, kindness, honesty or self sacrifice).
Amazingly, in Trump this group found the perfect useful idiot and convinced a bunch of dupes to elect him. That was the wedge they needed to take over the US, but they have designs on the rest of the world. While Trump has no ideology and thus can be easily manipulated so long as he gets paid, Vance has not only ideology but craven ambition. The rest of us should all be very afraid.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating: 4* of five
The Publisher Says: A chilling and urgently needed exposé on the forces pushing American politics and religion toward a post-constitutional autocracy
From Silicon Valley boardrooms to rural pulpits, from Catholic monasteries to Beltway think tanks and Project 2025, a convergence is underway. Reactionary Catholics dream of a new Christendom. Protestant pastors invoke divine right over democratic rule. Tech billionaires, led by the likes of Peter Thiel and Elon Musk, argue that freedom and democracy are incompatible. Their solution? A singular ruler to bring “order” out of what they see as liberal chaos.
With a theologian’s sensibility, a journalist’s touch, and a historian’s eye for how movements evolve and adapt, Dr. Bradley B. Onishi traces the strange alliance between spiritual warfare and Silicon Valley libertarianism. At the center of it all is the desire for an unbound executive—one man, beyond checks, beyond balance, beyond democracy. This isn’t nostalgia for the 1950s. It’s an organized attempt to abandon the American experiment altogether. A former insider turned academic expert, Onishi brings unmatched depth to this investigation—tracing his own path from evangelical pastor to co-host of Straight White American Jesus, the nation’s leading religion and politics podcast.
As the 2024 election fades into history and a new political order takes shape, American Caesar is not just a warning. It’s a map of how we got here—and a call to act before the Republic as we know it becomes just another chapter in a forgotten history book.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: I'm highly suspicious of the notion that "order" is a Good Thing because who decides this for other people is generally who wants to control those other people's lives in close detail. Those kinds of people are almost always puritans of one or another sort, who believe "They" should not be thinking those thoughts/doing those things (usually, though not always, sexual) because *eeewww*.
Author Onishi adds in the tech industry's "thinkers" to the usual suspects but stops short of using the slurs I myownself hurl at them. Author Onishi is tendentious as hell, shouting and waving his arms at the public, determinedly pointing the fingers of both hands at sometimes strained parallels with a past distant enough to make comparisons very very broad. Human nature does not change from what I can see; the same playbooks are still effective because our psychology is much the same.
"Much the same" does not mean we're always going to succumb to the same ruses. Look at the demonization of immigrants that's largely limited to haters and shouters, who are always in every era a minority; how many more people did what Minneapolis did and showed up to disrupt ICEstapo raids? California's honking warners of imminent danger are not getting hate outside the small bubble of the haters and screamers or there would be giant crowds of people helping ICE instead of huge shortages of recruits.
I'm not trying to put you off the read, it says what I think and explains what I fear; it brings the receipts for its bases of argument; it's going a bit further into the "it's inevitable, prepare to suffer" direction than I suspect is fully supported by developments. I think its tone is alarmist in a time when alarm is not only justified, but required; however presenting the grim facts ought to serve, not presenting deterministic conclusions. Those tend to dishearten the ordinary person, not rile them into the resistance and non-compliance we so urgently need to support and spread as a mindset.
Flawed by an overly emotional tone or not, this book can and should be part of your pre-election reading.
The Publisher Says: A chilling and urgently needed exposé on the forces pushing American politics and religion toward a post-constitutional autocracy
From Silicon Valley boardrooms to rural pulpits, from Catholic monasteries to Beltway think tanks and Project 2025, a convergence is underway. Reactionary Catholics dream of a new Christendom. Protestant pastors invoke divine right over democratic rule. Tech billionaires, led by the likes of Peter Thiel and Elon Musk, argue that freedom and democracy are incompatible. Their solution? A singular ruler to bring “order” out of what they see as liberal chaos.
With a theologian’s sensibility, a journalist’s touch, and a historian’s eye for how movements evolve and adapt, Dr. Bradley B. Onishi traces the strange alliance between spiritual warfare and Silicon Valley libertarianism. At the center of it all is the desire for an unbound executive—one man, beyond checks, beyond balance, beyond democracy. This isn’t nostalgia for the 1950s. It’s an organized attempt to abandon the American experiment altogether. A former insider turned academic expert, Onishi brings unmatched depth to this investigation—tracing his own path from evangelical pastor to co-host of Straight White American Jesus, the nation’s leading religion and politics podcast.
As the 2024 election fades into history and a new political order takes shape, American Caesar is not just a warning. It’s a map of how we got here—and a call to act before the Republic as we know it becomes just another chapter in a forgotten history book.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: I'm highly suspicious of the notion that "order" is a Good Thing because who decides this for other people is generally who wants to control those other people's lives in close detail. Those kinds of people are almost always puritans of one or another sort, who believe "They" should not be thinking those thoughts/doing those things (usually, though not always, sexual) because *eeewww*.
Author Onishi adds in the tech industry's "thinkers" to the usual suspects but stops short of using the slurs I myownself hurl at them. Author Onishi is tendentious as hell, shouting and waving his arms at the public, determinedly pointing the fingers of both hands at sometimes strained parallels with a past distant enough to make comparisons very very broad. Human nature does not change from what I can see; the same playbooks are still effective because our psychology is much the same.
"Much the same" does not mean we're always going to succumb to the same ruses. Look at the demonization of immigrants that's largely limited to haters and shouters, who are always in every era a minority; how many more people did what Minneapolis did and showed up to disrupt ICEstapo raids? California's honking warners of imminent danger are not getting hate outside the small bubble of the haters and screamers or there would be giant crowds of people helping ICE instead of huge shortages of recruits.
I'm not trying to put you off the read, it says what I think and explains what I fear; it brings the receipts for its bases of argument; it's going a bit further into the "it's inevitable, prepare to suffer" direction than I suspect is fully supported by developments. I think its tone is alarmist in a time when alarm is not only justified, but required; however presenting the grim facts ought to serve, not presenting deterministic conclusions. Those tend to dishearten the ordinary person, not rile them into the resistance and non-compliance we so urgently need to support and spread as a mindset.
Flawed by an overly emotional tone or not, this book can and should be part of your pre-election reading.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As a Catholic conservative who values the American constitutional order, natural law reasoning, subsidiarity, religious liberty as outlined in Vatican II’s Dignitatis Humanae, and the harmony between Faith and republican government, I find the book’s framing exaggerated and imprecise. While integralism and post liberalism exist, they are fringe movements. Debates among a small group of converts and theorists, such as Vermeule and those linked to The Josias or Postliberal Order, sometimes propose more hierarchical or common good regime structures. However, these aren’t representative of mainstream American Catholic conservatism, the bishops’ conference, the majority of pro-life and religious liberty activism, or the Catholic vote, which focuses on issues like abortion, school choice, parental rights, and conscience protections within the current constitutional framework. Equating them with the broader tradition risks the same reductionism conservatives criticize when progressives label ordinary religious voters as theocrats.
Catholic teaching doesn’t mandate monarchy or theocratic Caesarism. The Church’s social doctrine highlights the dignity of the person, the common good, subsidiarity, solidarity, and a limited yet significant role for the state. Although it has historically lived under and sometimes preferred monarchies, it doesn’t prescribe any specific political form. American Catholics, from John Courtney Murray onward, have argued that the Constitution’s protections for religious liberty and ordered liberty are compatible with and even supportive of Catholic flourishing in a pluralistic society. A preference for a stronger executive to curb administrative overreach or cultural excesses doesn’t equate to a desire for a personal monarch unbound by law. Legitimate critiques of liberalism are not anti-republican. Many conservative Catholics share Deneen’s concerns about atomizing individualism, the erosion of family and mediating institutions, and the progressive capture of elite institutions. These concerns drive political engagement aimed at reforming or reclaiming institutions within the Constitution, not discarding it for a “Christian prince.” Onishi’s narrative tends to blur this distinction, interpreting dissatisfaction with secular progressive dominance as evidence of monarchical ambition.
The “theocrats and tech lords” alliance is overstated. Tech figures like Peter Thiel or neo-reactionary writers such as Curtis Yarvin operate from different premises, often more Nietzschean, efficiency oriented, or anti-democratic in a corporate sense, rather than Catholic natural law thought. Temporary coalitions against shared cultural adversaries don’t constitute a coherent theocratic monarchical project. Catholic social teaching is generally cautious of concentrated private power as well as concentrated state power.
Alarmism cuts both ways. Conservative Catholics often argue that progressive institutional power of universities, media, administrative agencies, content moderation, and certain judicial theories has become unaccountable and hostile to traditional religious and moral claims. A one sided focus on right wing “Caesarism” can seem selective when expansive executive action and institutional capture have occurred across administrations. Historical analogies to Rome are evocative but easily overextended. The book is useful for mapping specific writers, networks, and rhetorical excesses on the further right, but it’s unpersuasive as a portrayal of American Catholicism or the broader conservative movement. It interprets orthodox Catholic discomfort with aggressive secularism and institutional liberalism primarily through the lens of a few radical theorists, then extrapolates a monarchical threat. I remain committed to working within the constitutional republic by defending life, family, religious liberty, and limited government rather than seeking to crown a Caesar. I suggest conservative Catholics consult the primary sources of Deneen, Vermeule, related debates, and mainstream Catholic social teaching directly rather than relying solely on this book’s urgent framing.
**I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
#ARC
#NetGalley
#AmericanCaesar
Catholic teaching doesn’t mandate monarchy or theocratic Caesarism. The Church’s social doctrine highlights the dignity of the person, the common good, subsidiarity, solidarity, and a limited yet significant role for the state. Although it has historically lived under and sometimes preferred monarchies, it doesn’t prescribe any specific political form. American Catholics, from John Courtney Murray onward, have argued that the Constitution’s protections for religious liberty and ordered liberty are compatible with and even supportive of Catholic flourishing in a pluralistic society. A preference for a stronger executive to curb administrative overreach or cultural excesses doesn’t equate to a desire for a personal monarch unbound by law. Legitimate critiques of liberalism are not anti-republican. Many conservative Catholics share Deneen’s concerns about atomizing individualism, the erosion of family and mediating institutions, and the progressive capture of elite institutions. These concerns drive political engagement aimed at reforming or reclaiming institutions within the Constitution, not discarding it for a “Christian prince.” Onishi’s narrative tends to blur this distinction, interpreting dissatisfaction with secular progressive dominance as evidence of monarchical ambition.
The “theocrats and tech lords” alliance is overstated. Tech figures like Peter Thiel or neo-reactionary writers such as Curtis Yarvin operate from different premises, often more Nietzschean, efficiency oriented, or anti-democratic in a corporate sense, rather than Catholic natural law thought. Temporary coalitions against shared cultural adversaries don’t constitute a coherent theocratic monarchical project. Catholic social teaching is generally cautious of concentrated private power as well as concentrated state power.
Alarmism cuts both ways. Conservative Catholics often argue that progressive institutional power of universities, media, administrative agencies, content moderation, and certain judicial theories has become unaccountable and hostile to traditional religious and moral claims. A one sided focus on right wing “Caesarism” can seem selective when expansive executive action and institutional capture have occurred across administrations. Historical analogies to Rome are evocative but easily overextended. The book is useful for mapping specific writers, networks, and rhetorical excesses on the further right, but it’s unpersuasive as a portrayal of American Catholicism or the broader conservative movement. It interprets orthodox Catholic discomfort with aggressive secularism and institutional liberalism primarily through the lens of a few radical theorists, then extrapolates a monarchical threat. I remain committed to working within the constitutional republic by defending life, family, religious liberty, and limited government rather than seeking to crown a Caesar. I suggest conservative Catholics consult the primary sources of Deneen, Vermeule, related debates, and mainstream Catholic social teaching directly rather than relying solely on this book’s urgent framing.
**I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
#ARC
#NetGalley
#AmericanCaesar
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy
by Bradley B. Onishi
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
This is one of those books that feels less like light political commentary and more like a warning flare shot into the sky. Bradley B. Onishi examines the growing overlap between religious nationalism, tech billionaire influence, and anti-democratic political movements in America, and whether you agree with all of his conclusions or not, it is undeniably thought-provoking.
What worked best for me was the way Onishi connects a lot of seemingly separate threads into one larger narrative. He looks at evangelical movements, reactionary Catholicism, Silicon Valley libertarianism, executive power, and modern populism, then traces how these groups sometimes converge around the idea that democracy itself is inefficient or broken. The historical parallels throughout the book were especially effective without feeling overly academic.
The writing is accessible for a topic that could have easily become dense or overly theoretical. Onishi clearly knows this world inside and out, and that insider perspective gives the book an extra layer of credibility, even when the arguments become more speculative or alarmist.
That said, readers coming from a different political perspective may feel the book occasionally paints with too broad a brush. There were moments where the framing felt less analytical and more overtly cautionary, which may either strengthen or weaken the book depending on your own viewpoint. I also would have liked a little more engagement with counterarguments instead of occasionally assuming the worst possible outcomes as inevitable.
Still, I think the book succeeds in what it is trying to do: spark serious conversation about power, institutions, influence, and the future direction of American democracy. Even when I didn’t fully agree with every conclusion, I found it engaging and difficult to put down.
4 stars.
by Bradley B. Onishi
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
This is one of those books that feels less like light political commentary and more like a warning flare shot into the sky. Bradley B. Onishi examines the growing overlap between religious nationalism, tech billionaire influence, and anti-democratic political movements in America, and whether you agree with all of his conclusions or not, it is undeniably thought-provoking.
What worked best for me was the way Onishi connects a lot of seemingly separate threads into one larger narrative. He looks at evangelical movements, reactionary Catholicism, Silicon Valley libertarianism, executive power, and modern populism, then traces how these groups sometimes converge around the idea that democracy itself is inefficient or broken. The historical parallels throughout the book were especially effective without feeling overly academic.
The writing is accessible for a topic that could have easily become dense or overly theoretical. Onishi clearly knows this world inside and out, and that insider perspective gives the book an extra layer of credibility, even when the arguments become more speculative or alarmist.
That said, readers coming from a different political perspective may feel the book occasionally paints with too broad a brush. There were moments where the framing felt less analytical and more overtly cautionary, which may either strengthen or weaken the book depending on your own viewpoint. I also would have liked a little more engagement with counterarguments instead of occasionally assuming the worst possible outcomes as inevitable.
Still, I think the book succeeds in what it is trying to do: spark serious conversation about power, institutions, influence, and the future direction of American democracy. Even when I didn’t fully agree with every conclusion, I found it engaging and difficult to put down.
4 stars.
August 26, 2026
A really eye-opening and informative read that chronicles all the factors & people that have contributed to the current decline in democracy and rise in authoritarianism in the US.
A wealth of information and well-executed book.
Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Bradley B. Onishi for allowing me to access the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
A wealth of information and well-executed book.
Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Bradley B. Onishi for allowing me to access the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
October 5, 2026
Oh Bradley, we're really in it now.
Another terrifying and stunning work by Onishi. He does such a great job of detailing the ways in which the theocrats and technocrats are working to transform the US. The nationalistic right often talks about taking the US "back" to be great again and if you have a problem with it then you can leave. But when the surface is peeled back the way Onishi does it, what we are confronted with is these same people truly have no love for the US as it is or ever was. They are actively pushing the US to a breaking point in which a new American revolution begins and all the ideals this country was built upon will be destroyed and replaced with an autocractic Christian country. Perhaps they are the ones who should leave.
What I found infinitely frustrating is the absolute narcissism of so many of these people. The ones who think they know what's best for everyone else and that's why we just need one leader with total executive power because we are just too stupid to understand everything they're doing for us. But the narcissism I think is also important to highlight because the theocrats and the technocrats, while they both believe the only path forward is a US monarch, what that actually looks like and who leads the country could not be further from each other. How will a US monarch be able to govern when these two sides won't be able to decide on a single leader? Perhaps JD Vance is who they hope to converge upon to represent both sides but even the alliance between Catholics and Evangelicalists is tenuous at best.
I was really glad Onishi delved into Yarvin Curtis - who truly isn't demonized enough for the influence he has had on Peter Thiel and JD Vance's ways of thinking. He is truly a repugnant man with some of the most disgusting views that are unfortunately resonating with very important people. Peter Thiel has famously said he no longer believes that democracy and freedom are compatible. No, instead he wants to split the country up into individual fiefdoms in which a tech CEO owns the land and the people. Truly the height of freedom.
As Onishi so eloquently put it, "democracy may feel chaotic and broken. Liberalism may seem mired in bureaucratic drudgery. But I would rather work as hard as possible to find a path forward with We the People than hand the keys of the kingdom to St. Peter and his megalomaniacal disciples. I don't want to hack human nature. I don't want a short cut to utopia. I want to work, struggle, and progress in a community of shared power. I want to flourish through solidarity, not escape; in order to make a future that matters precisely because it is our own."
Another terrifying and stunning work by Onishi. He does such a great job of detailing the ways in which the theocrats and technocrats are working to transform the US. The nationalistic right often talks about taking the US "back" to be great again and if you have a problem with it then you can leave. But when the surface is peeled back the way Onishi does it, what we are confronted with is these same people truly have no love for the US as it is or ever was. They are actively pushing the US to a breaking point in which a new American revolution begins and all the ideals this country was built upon will be destroyed and replaced with an autocractic Christian country. Perhaps they are the ones who should leave.
What I found infinitely frustrating is the absolute narcissism of so many of these people. The ones who think they know what's best for everyone else and that's why we just need one leader with total executive power because we are just too stupid to understand everything they're doing for us. But the narcissism I think is also important to highlight because the theocrats and the technocrats, while they both believe the only path forward is a US monarch, what that actually looks like and who leads the country could not be further from each other. How will a US monarch be able to govern when these two sides won't be able to decide on a single leader? Perhaps JD Vance is who they hope to converge upon to represent both sides but even the alliance between Catholics and Evangelicalists is tenuous at best.
I was really glad Onishi delved into Yarvin Curtis - who truly isn't demonized enough for the influence he has had on Peter Thiel and JD Vance's ways of thinking. He is truly a repugnant man with some of the most disgusting views that are unfortunately resonating with very important people. Peter Thiel has famously said he no longer believes that democracy and freedom are compatible. No, instead he wants to split the country up into individual fiefdoms in which a tech CEO owns the land and the people. Truly the height of freedom.
As Onishi so eloquently put it, "democracy may feel chaotic and broken. Liberalism may seem mired in bureaucratic drudgery. But I would rather work as hard as possible to find a path forward with We the People than hand the keys of the kingdom to St. Peter and his megalomaniacal disciples. I don't want to hack human nature. I don't want a short cut to utopia. I want to work, struggle, and progress in a community of shared power. I want to flourish through solidarity, not escape; in order to make a future that matters precisely because it is our own."
October 28, 2026
This book has shattered my understanding of what I used to understand as the Conservative - Libertarian ideological complex. Instead, Onishi observes, the New Right in the US is anything but libertarian.
He explores the three main currents of thought in the American right - the post-liberal Catholics (like Patrick Deneen), the Techno Monarchists (like Peter Thiel) and the Protestant Reconstructionists (like Doug Wilson). All three of them have one thing in common: a distrust of Democracy and of liberalism. Instead, all three offer an idyllic view of a mythic past, an utterly fictitious discourse. In this Disneyland version of Western Civilization they envision a monarchic America in which Western and right-wing values (as well as ethics) would be implemented through an executive with absolute powers.
The three sections of this movement, even though they seem to be incompatible with each other, have found a common figure - a leader which they aim to install on the American throne: the now Vice-president JD Vance.
This is a clearly written work, very well researched and, frankly, a little bit frightening.
He explores the three main currents of thought in the American right - the post-liberal Catholics (like Patrick Deneen), the Techno Monarchists (like Peter Thiel) and the Protestant Reconstructionists (like Doug Wilson). All three of them have one thing in common: a distrust of Democracy and of liberalism. Instead, all three offer an idyllic view of a mythic past, an utterly fictitious discourse. In this Disneyland version of Western Civilization they envision a monarchic America in which Western and right-wing values (as well as ethics) would be implemented through an executive with absolute powers.
The three sections of this movement, even though they seem to be incompatible with each other, have found a common figure - a leader which they aim to install on the American throne: the now Vice-president JD Vance.
This is a clearly written work, very well researched and, frankly, a little bit frightening.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A book exploring how right-wing Christian nationalists of all faiths and tech autocrats are driving us toward a monarchy.
The author posits these groups believe that liberalism with its emphasis on individual rights has caused the decline in civilization. The author, a supposed religious scholar, bases his belief that the roots for this is based on the philosophies of two rather obscure men: anti-democratic extremist Catholic thinker, L. Brent Bozwell, who promoted Franco’s fascist Spain, and “‘crazy uncle’ of American evangelicalism” R. J. Rushdooney who believed democracy was anti-faith. I’m no religious scholar but I’ve read a lot about white Christian nationalism and its roots as well being a former Catholic who has read extensively about my faith and the sins of Catholicism which are many so I find this conjecture rather narrow. In fact the book’s focus on the Catholic Church itself smacks of Protestant anti-Catholic fervor - I am well aware many Protestant religions in this country believe the Pope is the devil (Marjorie Taylor Green rejoiced in Pope Francis’s death for this reason).
The men who lead Project 2025 and the Heritage Foundation are Catholic but do not represent the Catholic Church either here or in Rome and not all American Catholics believe in their oppressive views, nor do these views fit with Catholic doctrine that I was taught - their involvement in Opus Dei, an extreme right wing group within the Catholic Church, is reflective of themselves and frankly I didn’t find any mention on Francis’s work to reform the group which Leo continues. The book really doesn’t give a fair view either on rightwing Catholic conservatism either - I’m not in that camp but even that group doesn’t espouse the view we need a monarch. I’m pleading here for accuracy not for obfuscation.
I did think the author’s attempts to show historical roots and commonalities between those right wing Evangelicals, Catholics and tech leaders was good. In the main there are many things consistent with other writers on white Christian nationalism. But the inaccuracy on somehow the Catholic Church itself is mixed up with those wanting to end our democracy is concerning - it’s individual Catholics that are the driving force - which gets blunted in the telling.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Essentials for granting me access to this ARC.
The author posits these groups believe that liberalism with its emphasis on individual rights has caused the decline in civilization. The author, a supposed religious scholar, bases his belief that the roots for this is based on the philosophies of two rather obscure men: anti-democratic extremist Catholic thinker, L. Brent Bozwell, who promoted Franco’s fascist Spain, and “‘crazy uncle’ of American evangelicalism” R. J. Rushdooney who believed democracy was anti-faith. I’m no religious scholar but I’ve read a lot about white Christian nationalism and its roots as well being a former Catholic who has read extensively about my faith and the sins of Catholicism which are many so I find this conjecture rather narrow. In fact the book’s focus on the Catholic Church itself smacks of Protestant anti-Catholic fervor - I am well aware many Protestant religions in this country believe the Pope is the devil (Marjorie Taylor Green rejoiced in Pope Francis’s death for this reason).
The men who lead Project 2025 and the Heritage Foundation are Catholic but do not represent the Catholic Church either here or in Rome and not all American Catholics believe in their oppressive views, nor do these views fit with Catholic doctrine that I was taught - their involvement in Opus Dei, an extreme right wing group within the Catholic Church, is reflective of themselves and frankly I didn’t find any mention on Francis’s work to reform the group which Leo continues. The book really doesn’t give a fair view either on rightwing Catholic conservatism either - I’m not in that camp but even that group doesn’t espouse the view we need a monarch. I’m pleading here for accuracy not for obfuscation.
I did think the author’s attempts to show historical roots and commonalities between those right wing Evangelicals, Catholics and tech leaders was good. In the main there are many things consistent with other writers on white Christian nationalism. But the inaccuracy on somehow the Catholic Church itself is mixed up with those wanting to end our democracy is concerning - it’s individual Catholics that are the driving force - which gets blunted in the telling.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Essentials for granting me access to this ARC.
September 20, 2026
American Caesar is a well-researched look into the forces that are trying to turn American democracy into an autocracy.
The billionaires had one thing in common. They felt that democracy wasn’t working for them. So they set about changing it. They weren’t looking for a return to the 1950s, they believed only a single strong leader should rule the USA. Elections must be abolished because you can’t trust the masses. Virtue and order are more important than freedom (at least for everyone else). So they set about achieving their goal with a strange (in my mind at least) man as a figurehead, someone who they could manipulate behind the scenes using only their endless wealth. Enter President Trump.
The style of American Caesar is intense. It reads like a Cliff’s Notes version of recent history. If you are curious how we got here, this book provides answers. Some will not like the answers that are pointed clearly to radical religious beliefs within established religions. Catholicism and evangelical Christianity are both cited as instigators. Even if you don’t agree with many of the theories presented here, the details are fascinating. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s church believes woman should not be allowed to vote. Vice President Vance is part of the radical Catholic group, Opus Dei. The weird behind-the-scenes details are sprinkled freely throughout the text.
Overall, this book is enlightening though clearly one-sided. Some will really like it, others will hate it. But everyone should read it and judge it for themselves. 4 stars!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Essentials for providing me with an advanced review copy.
The billionaires had one thing in common. They felt that democracy wasn’t working for them. So they set about changing it. They weren’t looking for a return to the 1950s, they believed only a single strong leader should rule the USA. Elections must be abolished because you can’t trust the masses. Virtue and order are more important than freedom (at least for everyone else). So they set about achieving their goal with a strange (in my mind at least) man as a figurehead, someone who they could manipulate behind the scenes using only their endless wealth. Enter President Trump.
The style of American Caesar is intense. It reads like a Cliff’s Notes version of recent history. If you are curious how we got here, this book provides answers. Some will not like the answers that are pointed clearly to radical religious beliefs within established religions. Catholicism and evangelical Christianity are both cited as instigators. Even if you don’t agree with many of the theories presented here, the details are fascinating. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s church believes woman should not be allowed to vote. Vice President Vance is part of the radical Catholic group, Opus Dei. The weird behind-the-scenes details are sprinkled freely throughout the text.
Overall, this book is enlightening though clearly one-sided. Some will really like it, others will hate it. But everyone should read it and judge it for themselves. 4 stars!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Essentials for providing me with an advanced review copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Incredibly well researched, and while the author has religious ties himself, he does not write in a way that will make a non-Christian uncomfortable. This book pairs well with Kristin Kobes Du Mez's Jesus and John Wayne - they cover some different figures, some of which Onishi points to, others due to the fact that Kobes Du Mez's book is already (somehow) six years old.
Only negatives? This book will have you even more concerned than you already are. Because it's even worse than you think.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Only negatives? This book will have you even more concerned than you already are. Because it's even worse than you think.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Insightful and alarming. Onishi compellingly connects the dots between three distinct but mutually informative anti-democratic movements within the right wing of American politics and intellectual culture in a way that offers strong explanatory power to those of us who grew up amid the conservative coalition of Reaganism and have spent the past decade looking around in bewilderment wondering how the hell we got from the party of the moral majority and small government libertarianism to a party enthralled by openly corrupt pedophiles determined to blow up both the deficit and the Strait of Hormuz, while still holding on to the loyalty of the overwhelming majority of white Christian voters.
Pairs well with:
(1) Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies
(2) The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy
Pairs well with:
(1) Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies
(2) The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I would like to thank NetGalley, the Publisher and the author for letting read an advance copy of this book.
I found the content very enlightening and at the same time scary and disappointed about our society. It basically shows a minority of people in the USA that has convinced themselves that they no better and who wish to take us back rather than forward in progress. In many ways it explains the very hard to accept the extremism and blinders worn by such a significant number of the population that elected and are willing to put up with a selfish clown like Trump.
Another aspect that emerged from the ideas presented by the author is that actions taken by these backwards people and extremist know it alls which they think are reflective of strength are really a deep fear of change and simplistic rules to live by.
Overall, a very interesting book written in a clear and enlightening manner by someone who entered and then left the brain washed segment of our society. Very scary though that we still don't know whether the majority will be able to thwart the worst instincts of these awful white men with all their money and Machiavellian plots.
I found the content very enlightening and at the same time scary and disappointed about our society. It basically shows a minority of people in the USA that has convinced themselves that they no better and who wish to take us back rather than forward in progress. In many ways it explains the very hard to accept the extremism and blinders worn by such a significant number of the population that elected and are willing to put up with a selfish clown like Trump.
Another aspect that emerged from the ideas presented by the author is that actions taken by these backwards people and extremist know it alls which they think are reflective of strength are really a deep fear of change and simplistic rules to live by.
Overall, a very interesting book written in a clear and enlightening manner by someone who entered and then left the brain washed segment of our society. Very scary though that we still don't know whether the majority will be able to thwart the worst instincts of these awful white men with all their money and Machiavellian plots.
August 7, 2026
Having read Bradley Onishi's previous work, "Preparing for War", I certainly was not prepared for this book. Oh, it was extremely good, in fact it may very well be the most insightful deep dive into the threats our Country currently faces and the background of how these threats developed and their history. Many if the names I was familiar with, Rushdoony, Wilson, Weyrich, Bozell, Thiel, Vance and other actors. This is a chilling and more than a little frightening to know that these characters are out there and that they have a platform to persuade others that their way is the only way. The attention to detail and research that went into the writing of this book is beyond compare.
All I can say is, read this book and tell your friends about, it is an extremely important offering of the history of the White Supremacy movement in America and should be read by any and all who want a behind the curtain look at when and how this all came not to be a fringe movement, but one that is now in the mainstream and welcomed and accepted by many
All I can say is, read this book and tell your friends about, it is an extremely important offering of the history of the White Supremacy movement in America and should be read by any and all who want a behind the curtain look at when and how this all came not to be a fringe movement, but one that is now in the mainstream and welcomed and accepted by many
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
American Caesar: How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy
This was a really interesting and alarming book.
I learned a lot about some of the really concerning aspects of the current crossroads of politics, technology, and leadership.
Onishi is a really well researched writer, and the points in this book are really well put together, important, and timely.
It was quite a scary book at time, but also really enlightening.
As someone who has been reading more-and-more about the ills of Christian nationalism, this book is really eye-opening.
I would highly recommend to anyone interested in what the future holds for technology, but also Christianity in America.
Very intriguing book.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced review copy!
4.1/5
This was a really interesting and alarming book.
I learned a lot about some of the really concerning aspects of the current crossroads of politics, technology, and leadership.
Onishi is a really well researched writer, and the points in this book are really well put together, important, and timely.
It was quite a scary book at time, but also really enlightening.
As someone who has been reading more-and-more about the ills of Christian nationalism, this book is really eye-opening.
I would highly recommend to anyone interested in what the future holds for technology, but also Christianity in America.
Very intriguing book.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced review copy!
4.1/5
Did Not Finish
September 1, 2026I DNF’d this book at around the 20% mark. While I was very interested in the premise, the style of this book was a little too academic for my taste. To be clear, I agree entirely with the author’s argument; I really appreciated the perspective he shared as an ex-evangelical himself; and I thought his argument was well-researched, well-presented, and well-defended. I learned an incredible amount just within the first 20%, specifically about the history of the Catholic Church in America and the way that former enemies (read: Protestants) became allies once the political boiling point reached the right temperature. If you are someone who is really interested in politics, political history, tech/AI and enjoy a more fact-forward, educational tone, I think you may really enjoy this one, but it wasn’t for me!
October 12, 2026
In my opinion, it's terrifying what is happening in our country, and I am stunned that so many people support the people currently running our things. This book scared me even more than before!
Bradley B. Onishi obviously did an incredible amount of research to pull together a book that details the beginnings of the current push to turn American democracy into an autocracy. He names names and carefully builds his case with facts that would be difficult for anyone to argue with. This book should be in libraries and schools across the country. So often, people blindly follow each other and it is way past the time we should all be paying attention.
Bradley B. Onishi obviously did an incredible amount of research to pull together a book that details the beginnings of the current push to turn American democracy into an autocracy. He names names and carefully builds his case with facts that would be difficult for anyone to argue with. This book should be in libraries and schools across the country. So often, people blindly follow each other and it is way past the time we should all be paying attention.
September 27, 2026
I am not a big consumer of conspiracy theories, but I was intrigued by Onishi's previous book Preparing for War. This book broadens that conspiracy and brings it up to date with the current Trump administration. I find the extreme Christians and the tech moguls an odd pairing that could create some tension if their power seeking plays out beyond Trump. The book is a little repetitive, I suspect to drive home the point that these are not just power hungry groups, but revolutionaries who will resort to violence to achieve their goals.
September 25, 2026
Onishi describes three current movements in the U.S. that, while not the same, are united in a worldview that sees democracy as a problem: Silicon Valley tech monarchists (e.g. Peter Thiel), reactionary Catholics (e.g. JD Vance), and a militant strain of Protestantism (e.g. Hegseth).
The Protestant anti-democraric strain retains "the racism, xenophobia, and misogyny of the old Religious Right, but are explicit about their desire to achieve their ideal social order through an authoritarian dictator." (p15).
The reactionary Catholics believe govt should install a collectivist religious vision in American society rather than fostering freedom of the market or individual pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.
For tech monarchists, surveillance becomes a tool for civilizational dominance by constructing a state strong enough to enforce order, then the plan is to hollow out democracy from within.
All 3 groups are no longer advocates of small government. The state is reimagined as an instrument to enforce religious or Western norms with restrictions on commerce, speech, and personal conduct. (p23). The movement marks millions as incapable of contributing to the nation as it demands supremacy for a supposedly homogeneous Western, European, Christian people who are superior to the rest of the world.
All three movements reject individual freedom in place of hierarchical control. They prefer a patriarchal autocratic leader who can rule without accountability. All three movements believe in Western supremacy "which provides a civilizational justification for excision, subjugation, and violence." (p204)
The Protestant anti-democraric strain retains "the racism, xenophobia, and misogyny of the old Religious Right, but are explicit about their desire to achieve their ideal social order through an authoritarian dictator." (p15).
The reactionary Catholics believe govt should install a collectivist religious vision in American society rather than fostering freedom of the market or individual pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.
For tech monarchists, surveillance becomes a tool for civilizational dominance by constructing a state strong enough to enforce order, then the plan is to hollow out democracy from within.
All 3 groups are no longer advocates of small government. The state is reimagined as an instrument to enforce religious or Western norms with restrictions on commerce, speech, and personal conduct. (p23). The movement marks millions as incapable of contributing to the nation as it demands supremacy for a supposedly homogeneous Western, European, Christian people who are superior to the rest of the world.
All three movements reject individual freedom in place of hierarchical control. They prefer a patriarchal autocratic leader who can rule without accountability. All three movements believe in Western supremacy "which provides a civilizational justification for excision, subjugation, and violence." (p204)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book is more terrifying than any of the horror I’ve read this year. An extremely in-depth look at how the extremists in government, tech, and religion are combining their ideas and resources in an attempt to take away the rights that make America America.
This should be required reading for any middle-of-the-road types who aren’t sure that things are getting “that bad”.
This should be required reading for any middle-of-the-road types who aren’t sure that things are getting “that bad”.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It's really frightening to see how our country got to its current state in the political world. As a Christian, it's really frustrating to see so many of these public figures act in a non Christian way while saying it's all in the name God. The book is well cited and I've even bought one of the sources mentioned to learn more. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
October 11, 2026
3.1 stars, kind of a scary look at Christian Nationalism in the US and it made me wary of certain people, especially Peter Tiel
October 22, 2026
Powerful! I especially liked the chapter on our current VP. It covered him quite well - detailed, well written but not overwhelming- to the point.
November 3, 2026
Oof, we’ve got some people in charge with some wild beliefs.
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