No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism

by Jared Huffman, Jamie Raskin (Foreword)

From Congressman Jared Huffman, a behind-the-scenes look at the shocking extent of Christian nationalism’s reach in our government—and the fight to defend church-state separation.

Sinclair Lewis is said to have warned: “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross.” On January 6, 2021, Rep. Jared Huffman saw something chillingly close to that vision. Thousands of Christians following self-declared prophets stormed the Capitol. The insurrection should have been a national wake-up call about Christian nationalism. Instead, most Americans and politicians looked away.

No Prophets argues that Christian nationalism is now America’s most dangerous political movement. Huffman pulls back the curtain on religious extremists behind the insurrection who have only grown more powerful with Trump’s return. Openly vowing to destroy church-state separation and democracy as we know it, they now work inside the highest levels of government to drive domestic and foreign policy, reshape federal agencies, undermine science and education, and tilt elections. The endgame: an authoritarian theocracy that imposes their religious beliefs by force of law.

Drawing on his experiences as a formerly devout Christian and the only Humanist ever to serve in Congress, Huffman maps the movement’s largely hidden landscape—taking readers behind the scenes of the Capitol, exposing the tactics and myths Christian nationalists use to advance their agenda, and showing how America is imperiled by our reluctance to confront threats cloaked in Christianity.

But, he argues, it’s not too late. If we muster a broad interfaith coalition grounded in shared commitment to democracy, we can reclaim the public square for everyone—religious and secular—to share on equal terms.

No Prophets is a clear-eyed, urgent appeal to defend the secular foundations of democracy.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Religion, History, Audiobook, Philosophy, Christianity

240 pages, Hardcover

Published August 18, 2026

Reviews

[Jeff Koeppen]

Representative Jared Huffman is a hero of mine as he is the only “out” non-believer in the US House and Senate. He and a few other congressional members formed the Congressional Freethought Caucus to combat the Republicans’ Freedom Caucus and to promote separation of church and state and oppose discrimination against non-religious (and religious) persons. I’ve admired his candor as he has made appearances on secular / atheist podcasts I’ve listened to and in like publications. Being an admitted nonbeliever would be political suicide for most politicians in this superstition saturated country. When I heard he was releasing a book about Christian nationalism in the US I signed up for the presale immediately.

I loved this book. It was everything I thought it would be and it was an eye opener for me. I knew that under Trump the Christian nationalists were making serious inroads as far as injecting Christianity in to government, school, and society as a whole but had no idea the extent of their success. I get regular updates through publications from groups such as the Freedom From Religion Foundation but Representative Huffman's book offers readers a front row seat to how higher-ups under Trump are blatantly violating church-state separation guidelines in every corner of the government. Like Representative Huffman noted – in Trump’s first term these people pushed against guardrails, in Trump’s second term they just obliterated the guardrails.

What's really concerning is that Christian nationalists are heartbeats away from running this country. Vice President JD Vance is one heartbeat away, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is two heartbeats away. And then you have Secretary of Defense Hegseth who has Bible groups meeting in the Pentagon for crying out loud. Senators and Congressmen are openly displaying Christian flags in their respective work offices. As Representative Huffman said , “These days, you can’t swing a shofar without hitting some aspect of it (Christian nationalism): prayer meetings, Bible studies, pastoral briefings, staff trainings, and more, happening across the Capitol every day in open defiance of the Constitution’s wall of separation between church and state. He goes on to state that when he opens his office door the first thing he sees is the Appeal to Heaven flag. He quipped to one of his staffers that we are “sleepwalking to Gilead”.

After a great Foreword written by Representative Jamie Raskin about Representative Huffman, the author launches in to the Introduction “The Cross and the Coup” which recounts his experience during this January 6th riots and how Christian nationalists help fan the flames and participated in the ugliness on the front lines. The rest of the book’s chapters are as follows:

“Not Your Parents’ Culture War” – how Christian religious extremism grew from the Ronald Reagan / Jerry Falwell days of yore to the MAGA extremists currently successfully breaking down the wall of church/state separation.

“Breaking Faith” – Representative Huffman’s personal journey away from faith and how it is now affecting him as a Congressman.

“Three Roads to Theocracy” - this is about three extremist religious groups who have been gaining strength in recent years: the Rad Trads of Catholicism, the reconstructionist Theo Bros, and the New Apostolic Reformation.

“Founding Fiction” – combating the claims that the United States was founded as a Christian nation.

“Christian Privilege” – how Christian extremism isn’t getting the same attention as other extremists in our society.

“The Shadow Theocracy” – addresses the "diffuse matrix of Christian nationalist operatives working to thread their religion into institutions and daily workings of the government in order to establish dominion as their theology commands". Christian nationalist power players, faith healers, religious networks, advocacy groups, and religious programs are embedding right-wing Christian influence in government and manifest biblical dogma into policy.

“Christian Zionism” – addresses the Christian nationalists supporting Israel primarily because of the Biblical myths.

“The Dumbing of America” – the Christian nationalists’ war on secular education, science and rational inquiry.

“Defenders of Democracy” - secular groups attempting to crack the MAGA Christian nationalist movement including the Freethought Caucus, Freedom From Religion Foundation and even some Christian organizations who recognize and are opposed to the overreach.

“Conclusion” – Representative Huffman wraps it all up and talks about a monument in planning for Thomas Paine, the critical thinking founding father who Teddy Roosevelt referred to as a “filthy atheist”. The Freethought Caucus along with some secular groups got the memorial authorized in 2022 but the statue and memorial will have to wait until Trump leaves office to get pushed across the finish line.

The book is full of great quotes by the likes of Carl Sagan, Sinclair Lewis, Christopher Hitchens, Kurt Vonnegut, Thomas Paine (“the mind once enlightened cannot again become dark”).

There are 18 pages of notes and a page of further reading which I will look in to.

Last Monday, Representative Huffman hosted a Zoom meeting for those of us who pre-ordered his book which was a fun event. My question was the last one he answered: I asked about his guitar in the background and who his favorite musicians were. Ha, ha!

All the stars!

[Heather Birt]

After reading Congressman Jared Huffman’s No Prophets, I feel well-informed not only on the threats we’re facing to democracy and what’s transpired in the White House over the past decade with regard to the separation of church and state, but also on how this movement of Christian nationalists has evolved since the early 80s.

Huffman was raised in a religion that lauded prophetic vision. His views on religion began to shift as he studied under former Congressman and professor Walter Holden Capps, a scholar who helped define the field of Religious Studies.

“Prophetic belief is like volatile genetic material: In its healthiest form, it animates churches with vitality: a living sense that God still speaks to us. But like unstable DNA, it invites mutation. Inevitably, inspiration blurs into delusion, and under pressure, prophetic fervor becomes dangerous.”

These experiences give his insights deep credibility, especially now with the Trump Administration utilizing Christian nationalist prophets to guide policy and decision-making.

No Prophets includes fascinating historical information, an insider’s look at developments within the White House, and details about key players' attempts to assert “Christian dominion” as rule of the land. Huffman tells us about the three major groups guiding this endeavor - New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), radical traditionalist Catholics (Rad Trads), and the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), who are also known as Theo Bros. due to their close association with wealthy and powerful leaders in the tech industry.

“NAR elevates self-declared prophets whose visions guide the movement’s priorities, strategies, and political engagement. Apostles like Dutch Sheets are the top leaders, sitting atop a prophetic governing body called the Ekklesia, a Greek term loosely translated as the “called out” assembly. NAR believes God has vested the Ekklesia with special spiritual gifts.”

“CREC frames Christianity as a political tribe and a cultural fortress to be defended. Biblical literalism, strict patriarchal authority, and nationalist identity are central articles of faith.”

Huffman encourages the examination of Christian privilege in society, and the need for us to bear the discomfort of speaking out, and oppose the creation of a real-life Gilead:

“Saving democracy from Christian nationalism requires us to recognize that Christian privilege is all around us, not just in our institutions but sometimes in our own assumptions and judgments. We must dare to break taboo and give Christian extremism the same serious scrutiny we apply to other virulent threats. When it causes harm, we must name it and defend others who do so. We cannot allow extremists to shut down debate by simply branding their critics ‘anti-Christian.’”

I was living somewhat unaware that my rationality and compassion for humanity as a humanist/atheist equated me to a demon that should be eliminated, or at least subjugated, according to these radical Christian movements directing policy within our government.

It’s hard to overstate the centrality of demon hunting in NAR’s worldview. The constant imperative to identify and vanquish satanic forces permeates their conception of Christian daily life and shapes every challenge and encounter.

I'm usually at home on Fridays enjoying a bowl of homemade lentil soup, or maybe a patty melt, rewatching DVDs like The Karate Kid or the Spider-Man movies, not channeling messages from paranormal sources of unknown origin encouraging me to plot a hostile takeover or revoke others' personal freedoms. Which one sounds like more of a threat to you?

After reading No Prophets, I plan to pick up The Nerd Reich. It seems to me Christian nationalism and the rise of tech bros. are the two major forces threatening democracy, the planet, and our future.

[Pam]

Attending Congressman Jared Huffman’s talk and book launch at the Commonwealth Club was a fantastic experience, and hearing him unpack the core ideas of No Prophets in person provided an ideal backdrop for reading the book. I hold tremendous respect for Huffman, his work in Congress, and his steadfast defense of the separation of church and state. Stepping forward as an openly Humanist lawmaker takes genuine courage, and he navigates that identity while maintaining a deep, authentic respect for people of all faiths and backgrounds.

What makes the book compelling is how Huffman grounds a high-stakes political discussion in personal narrative. He shares his own spiritual journey alongside his sister’s experience as a convert to Judaism, giving the narrative a warm, human center. Equally striking are his accounts of two former high school teammates who went down dark paths involving religious extremism, one who committed murder and another who burned down a church, serving five years for arson. It is a sobering look at how radicalization can warp faith and lead to devastating real-world harm.

Where the book falls short for me, and why it loses a star, is its historical scope. Huffman marks the rise of Christian nationalism around the evangelical revivals of the 1970s and 80s, and 90s. Yet throughout the text, he continually anchors his defense of a secular state in the Founding Fathers, drawing on Washington, Jefferson, and Paine to show that the nation was intentionally built without an official religion.

If the founding era is our reference point, then the timeline must also account for how Christianity was weaponized as a tool of oppression, colonization, and social control from the very beginning, straight through the era of slavery. Furthermore, while Huffman focuses on white Christian nationalism, he sidesteps the reality that the majority of Black Americans also identify as Christian (73% according to Pews Research Center) with many aligning with conservative nationalist frameworks outside of traditional social justice movements. Whether he felt it wasn't his place to address this or simply overlooked it, omitting these historical and demographic layers leaves a gap in his analysis.

Ultimately, No Prophets is an insightful, highly relevant read. Huffman’s perspective as a secular leader committed to true pluralism is a vital contribution to today’s political conversation, even if the history underlying the issue runs much deeper than the book explores.

[Jamad]

No Prophets is a timely and unsettling examination of the growing influence of Christian nationalism in American politics. Jared Huffman, a former devout Mormon and now the only openly non-believing member of Congress, writes from an unusually close vantage point, drawing on what he has witnessed inside the Capitol as well as on the history and ideology of the movement.

Huffman argues that this is about considerably more than religion. He traces the connections between Christian nationalism, the events of January 6, attacks on science and education, attempts to erode the separation of church and state, and the growing influence of religious groups within government. His discussion of the different factions involved is particularly interesting, as is his argument that Christian privilege has meant that some forms of religious extremism have not received the scrutiny they deserve.

There is plenty here that will already be familiar to anyone who has been following American politics, and at times the argument is necessarily repetitive. But Huffman makes a persuasive case that Christian nationalism should not be dismissed as a fringe phenomenon. His concern is not simply that religion is influencing politics, but that a particular religious ideology is seeking to reshape the nature of American democracy itself.

An important and thought-provoking book, particularly for anyone trying to understand how religion, nationalism and the American political system have become so closely intertwined.

[KC]

“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross.”
-Lewis Sinclair

A powerful warning of how Christian Nationalism can topple our country's democracy. Individuals and groups have been strategically and successfully placing themselves politically for years, how they want to abolish church and state, and finally what we can do to confront this ongoing movement.

[Noah Lugeons]

Incredibly important work that lays out the case against Christian Nationalism in a respectful way that should be palatable to anyone of any faith.

[Bob H]

Rep. Jared Huffman presents the extremist Christianity of today -- which he is careful to theme as Christian Nationalism -- as a mortal threat to the Republic. He begins the book with his memories of January 6; he was on Capitol Hill during the insurgency, albeit in the House office building adjacent, and saw the mob storm in. He was struck by the Christian imagery in the mob -- the crosses, the "Appeal to Heaven" flags, the people blowing shofars -- and saw it as a driving force. Congress did launch an inquiry into Jan. 6, but he says that the committee, on the urging of Rep. Liz Cheney, struck out mention of the religious aspect, an omission that skewed public discussion of the revolt.

He proceeds with a brief memoir of his upbringing, his education and his original presence in an offshoot of the Latter Day Saints, along with his transition to religious disaffection and finally to his announcement that he was a humanist, a freethinker, the first member of Congress to do so. He proceeds, thus established as a skeptic, to spell out the state of the religious disunion: the founding fathers' myth about the US being founded as an expressly Christian, rather than secular, nation; the christian-privilege situation since then; a shadow theocracy triumvirate of the National Apostolic Reformation dominionism, of Catholic radical traditionalists, and of "theo bro" cult embedded in the Trump Defense Department leadership. He also describes the influence of Christian Zionism, an end-times ideology that affects US Mideast policy. He describes the religious component of attacks on public education, scientific research, the universities, the environment. He makes a valid, sharp point that the extremists want to post the Ten Commandments, but never the Sermon on the Mount.

His conclusion is hopeful, but cautiously so. He is aware that mainstream religions and secular Americans are beginning to resist the co-opting of piety, the hijacking of Jesus. He stresses the legacy of Thomas Paine. But he does warn us that a national showdown is imminent.

[Ann Ciemny]

Great book must read.

[Desirae]

Jared Huffman’s No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism is an angry, deeply researched, and profoundly timely book about something I increasingly believe Americans cannot afford to ignore: the growing attempt to merge religious ideology with governmental power. Huffman is not arguing against Christianity or against people practicing their faith. His argument is about something much more dangerous—the transformation of religious belief into a political mandate and the insistence that one particular religious worldview should determine the laws everyone else must live under.

The book begins with January 6, 2021, which Huffman experienced from inside the Capitol. He describes the religious imagery, prayers, shofars, Christian symbols, and rhetoric surrounding the insurrection and argues that the religious dimensions of the attack have been seriously underestimated. From there, he traces the movement backward through the Moral Majority and the rise of the Religious Right, and forward into the second Trump administration. He examines the New Apostolic Reformation, radical traditionalist Catholics, Christian Zionism, Capitol Ministries, and what he calls the “shadow theocracy” developing within American political institutions.

One of the most important sections for me is Huffman’s dismantling of the claim that America was founded as a Christian nation. This is not simply a matter of opinion. The Constitution contains no religious test for federal office, while the First Amendment prohibits Congress from establishing a religion. The 1797 Treaty of Tripoli, negotiated under George Washington’s administration and ratified unanimously by the Senate before being signed by John Adams, explicitly stated that the United States government was not founded on the Christian religion.

That does not mean religion was absent from early America. Of course it wasn't. Many founders were deeply influenced by Christianity, and religious belief was woven into American society. But that is very different from saying that the United States was constitutionally established as a Christian state. Huffman is particularly effective at exposing the difference between a nation whose people are religious and a government that belongs to a religion.

That distinction matters enormously to me. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs. Christians have every right to live according to Christian principles. Muslims, Jews, atheists, Hindus, Buddhists, and everyone else have exactly the same right. But having the freedom to practice a belief does not create a right to impose that belief through the machinery of government. That is precisely why separation of church and state matters. It protects religious people from government interference while simultaneously protecting everyone else from having someone else's theology turned into law.

The statistics make Huffman’s concerns difficult to dismiss as paranoia. PRRI’s 2025 American Values Atlas, based on more than 22,000 interviews, found that 11% of Americans qualified as Christian nationalism adherents and another 21% as sympathizers—roughly one-third of the country. Among Republicans, the combined figure was 56%.

Pew’s April 2026 survey is equally revealing: 17% of Americans said the federal government should declare Christianity the official religion, while another 43% said government should promote Christian moral values without officially declaring Christianity the national religion. Fifty-one percent said the Bible should have at least some influence on U.S. laws, and 13% said the government should stop enforcing separation of church and state.

That is what makes No Prophets feel so bleak in 2026. The book describes a movement that is no longer comfortably confined to the margins. It has found political influence, institutional access, and a language capable of presenting religious preference as patriotism.

What I appreciated most is that Huffman ultimately argues for a broad defense of democracy rather than an attack on faith itself. I agree with that distinction completely. Religious freedom means freedom for religion, not rule by religion.

No Prophets left me angry, frightened, and, ultimately, convinced that complacency is the real danger. A secular democracy does not require citizens to abandon their faith. It requires government to belong equally to all of us. In a country becoming increasingly religiously diverse, that principle isn't an obstacle to freedom. It may be the thing that preserves it.

[XOX]

Interesting.

https://youtu.be/uegDRz-siiM?si=xNzNq...

[Marlee Canale]

My fav part was him describing christian nationalism as metastasizing during specific time periods, which indirectly calls it a cancer to democracy (because it is).

[Joclyn]

Really excellent and timely read!

[Stephen Bonebrake]

An important book about an issue I’m concerned about. Separation of church and state. I’m worried about so called Christians inserting themselves into politics.

[Pam Shelton-Anderson]

I am a firm believer in separation of church and state and that people can practice whatever faith system suits them but cannot tell others who to act based on that system. We have all been seeing the rise of Christian nationalism and attacks on the constitution. This books dives into the most prominent groups espousing take over of the US system by those wanting Christian dominance by any means necessary. It is very sobering but also provides ideas on how to combat this. IMO we need to regard these groups as any other extremists who seek to destroy democracy. This book is an important start to understanding the danger.

[Linda]

Wow! Wow!Wow! Wow! Wow!
Huffman is Democrat, U.S. Representative from California who was raised as a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints whose views of religion transformed. He now considers himself a secular humanist.
In the book he first documents the rise of Christian Nationalism then calls on the history of our founding fathers to refute that the U.S. was/is a Christian nation.
I like the way Huffman thinks and what he has to say.

[Tim Schillinger]

Pros
>>Well written, easy to follow, and well structured throughout.
>>Provides a genuine insider view of the Christian Nationalist takeover of U.S. government and institutions, revealing just how privileged, embedded, and protected these groups already are within the machinery of American power.
>>Exposes the profound hypocrisy in how Christianity is treated relative to every other religious group in the U.S., from the symbols tolerated in political buildings, to the handling of January 6th, to how terrorism prevention measures and military investigations consistently shelter Christians from the consequences applied to everyone else.
>>Sets the record straight on Christian nationalist propaganda (from the myth of the "Christian founding" to the fiction of Christian persecution in America) using historical analysis and primary source material rather than counter-rhetoric.
>>Traces the Christian nationalist agenda with real clarity: the goals already achieved, the goals still in progress, and the institutional scaffolding being built to support both.

Cons
>>The author undermines his own credibility by holding up Nancy Pelosi and Liz Cheney as counter-examples worth admiring. Both have supported genocide in Palestine and have built personal wealth through market manipulation via insider trading and policy influence. Positioning them as the reasonable alternative to Christian nationalism while ignoring their own roles in America's decline reveals a partisan blind spot that weakens the book's authority and judgment considerably.
>>The author never outlines what actually needs to happen to stop this. No call to revoke the tax-exempt status of churches that openly endorse political candidates. No argument for designating Christian nationalist groups as threatening organizations as their conduct warrants. For a book this detailed about the threat, the absence of any real prescription makes it feel toothless: long on alarm, short on spine.

Summary
This is one of the more thorough and well-sourced accounts of Christian nationalism's infiltration of American government and institutions, and at its best, it's genuinely alarming in the way good investigative journalism should be. The insider access is real, the historical corrections are overdue, and the documentation of institutional double standards is hard to argue with. Where it fails is where too many books like it fail: it identifies the problem with precision and then flinches at the solution. Propping up establishment Democrats as the reasonable alternative while refusing to call for the structural consequences (tax status revocation, domestic terrorism designations) that the evidence actually supports turns a sharp diagnosis into a polite warning. Worth reading for what it reveals. Frustrating for what it refuses to demand.

[Sandie]

Congressman Jared Huffman, our sole proclaimed humanist, i.e., atheist , ever to represent the American people in Washington, has written a sobering warning about the political ascendancy of Christian Nationalists in America. Harnessed by Trump, who is bent securing an autocracy and a GOP unwilling to check his anti-democratic actions , Christian Nationalists aim to take back America for God. 

Representative Huffman charts the rise of extreme Christian Nationalism from the fringes to the become a powerful force within the GOP, aiming to overturn the Constitutional protection of Church State separation that we have enjoyed and accepted over the last decades.  Many of the leaders of the three main Christian Nationalist factions (Rad Trad Catholics, Theo Bros, and the NAR aligned independent charismatic evangelicals ) are largely unknown to the country at large but the names of secretary of War Pete Hegseth  and Houe Speaker Johnson should ring a bell.

Between fervor of true believers who have already successfully sought book bans,and anti-LGTB, and anti-abortion and other legislation driven by their religious beliefs, and the Republican in thrall to the President and a conservative Christian electorate abetted by the US Supreme Court we are on a path to a theocracy that is not the will of the majority of the American people.

Huffman writes well and presents a cogent argument.

I am solidly behind his argument , but I feel his strong and legitimate feeling as a humanist awash in the preference given to all things Christian by our government, and as man from a white and conservative Protestant family, he neglects to call Christian Nationalism by the accurate name white Christian Nationalism and neglects to strongly argue the movement's dangers to women, and non-white and non-straight people.

His understanding of our country as an increasingly multicultural non- Christian nation is sound, but largely gnores a historical understanding of American xenophobia and racism and imposition of Protestantism on the country.

Huffman closes his book with hopeful resistance to Christian Nationalisn from Americans, believers, and non-believers.

[Casey McCabe]

In a genre loaded with important books, No Prophets raises the stakes with genuine timeliness and peril. While religion and politics have long wrestled over the First Amendment and the role of faith in the American experiment, only recently have the forces of theocracy legitimately challenged democracy over the rule of law and our Constitutional foundations. Like the proverbial frog in boiling water, most of us haven’t noticed the temperature rising. Congressman Jared Huffman wants to sound that alarm.

Huffman isn’t exactly an alarmist himself. In No Prophets he makes an extremely tight case like the lawyer he is; White Christian Nationalism is no longer the fringe element mainstream Christianity once kept at arm’s length, it is a full-fledged crusade being waged by people at the highest levels of power and operating with a well-coordinated playbook. In case you haven’t noticed, its success is unprecedented and chilling.

Unlike a lawyer, Huffman understands what makes a good read, and No Prophets briskly unfolds with historical narrative, lively language, and practical perspective. That includes Huffman’s own journey of faith, from devout Christian, to questioning college student, to the only member of Congress to openly declare himself a humanist, a non-believer, the most dangerous third rail in American politics. That experience lets him give a fair and honest voice to all parties involved.

The fact that Huffman is only the second person in the long and populous history of Congress to openly identify as atheist, the fact that our Founding Father’s often disguised their religious misgivings, and the fact that Huffman continues to get encouragement and support from humanist colleagues who still opt to remain in the shadows, only confirms why this book needed to be written and demands to be read.

[Bill Arning]

No Prophets is infuriating in precisely the ways its author intends. I picked it up because the rise of Christian nationalism in American politics has deeply confused me, particularly the apparent contradiction between claiming to follow the teachings of Jesus and embracing political movements that can sanction cruelty, exclusion, and, in their most extreme forms, violence.
Before reading this book, I had never heard the term “Dominion Theology,” and learning about it gave me a framework for understanding ideas I had previously found bewildering. The book places contemporary Christian nationalism within a much longer and darker history of attempts to enlist Christianity in the service of political power, racial supremacy, and authoritarian movements. It also made me think more seriously about the importance of the Constitution’s protections for religious freedom and the separation of church and state—not as hostility toward religion, but as protections for both religious and nonreligious Americans.
The book is at its strongest when showing how easily sincere religious belief can become distorted when faith becomes inseparable from the pursuit of political power. I found those sections frightening and illuminating, particularly at a moment when arguments over the proper relationship between Christianity and American government have moved from the margins into mainstream political life.
Yet No Prophets does not end entirely in despair. Its hope lies in the possibility that Christians committed to a very different understanding of their faith can find common cause with humanists, freethinkers, and members of other religious traditions in defending a pluralistic democracy in which no single faith gets to rule everyone else.
That hope may be the book’s most important proposition. It is certainly not presented as guaranteed.

[Diane]

I received an advanced copy of this book from the FFRF as a precursor to an online discussion this month.

This well-researched, terrifying record of Christian Nationalist’s history and rise to power in the US outlines the movement’s beliefs, showing how this anti-democratic faction got the current administration elected and has and continues to install its followers in high-level positions (think Mike Johnson) and infiltrate all government policies. Due to be published August 18, it is a must read for anyone who cares about this country and her values as set forth in the Constitution.

Huffman details the background and interests of several top-ranking Christian Nationalists including Doug Wilson, founder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, who has been defended and openly supported by the Pentagon and many in this administration. Wilson advocates “making the US a Christian theocracy by codifying the Apostle’s Creed in the Constitution…” He believes that government should police sex, religious belief, and speech. According to Wilson, homosexuals should be criminally punished (as should “heretics”), women should not be allowed to vote, and slavery is a-ok. Huffman’s introduction of Dutch Sheetz of the New Apostolic Reformation is no more comforting to those of us who believe strongly that, while everyone should have the freedom to worship (or not) as they choose, it is imperative to maintain the separation of church and state if we want to hold onto our democratic ideals.

This is not your compassion-and-love-for-all Christianity I understood growing up (even though it wasn’t even really that in my experience—last I checked, death threats and violence against a person who believes differently doesn’t = compassion). And this is what we are up against. For those who believe in democracy and pluralism, this.should.be terrifying and infuriating. We are seeing many, many policies begin to change to accommodate the ideas of those who believe in Christian dominion. Whether you are Christian or other- or nonbeliever THIS is a critical work.

[Janine]

Phenomenal book. A must read in this age of MAGA, white nationalism and Christianity, misinformation and disinformation!

The book provides a simple but accurate history of the rise of the desire to make this country into a theocracy by trying to rewrite and reframe history and how we can counteract this! It exposes the extent to which these venues have invaded our government. It’s really find of frightening. It examines the false prophets that give rise to the belief that in a theocracy can we only survive - a scary one based on misinterpretation of the Bible, I believe, as if that book was written solely to govern us (there’s a biblical quote cited in the book that says we are to obey kings and governmental authorities that is used to cite why we should be governed by this book, if you will; but as the author points out Jefferson wrote the Declaration to severe a government so there is no Biblical imperative that demands this. And except for a statement in Article VI where it says no religion test can be applied to this running for office, religion is not mentioned as a governing principle.

I enjoyed this book immensely because it continues my desire to understand the craziness of these times and people who are so determined to take my freedoms away. I am no theologian but I see many of these so-called prophets as disingenuous and deceitful - if not money grabbing blood suckers! If any of them had any brains, they’d look to history to see what happens when you try to install a theocracy- England suffered greatly.

At any rate I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

My thanks to NetGalley and W.W. Norton and Company for allowing me access to this ARC.

[Karen Adkins]

If, like me, you have concerns about the increasing prominence of Christian nationalism in US politics, this is a pretty essential book to read. While some of the material here has been covered elsewhere (especially in Tim Alberta's excellent work), Huffman's perspective as a sitting member of Congress (and the only open Congressional nonbeliever) is particularly valuable. The middle chapters (5 and 6) were disturbing to read. Chapter 6 details the extent to which Christian nationalist infrastructure is woven into daily life and practice of the Congress (this goes well beyond coverage of "The Family"). But it is Chapter 5 that is truly gobsmacking. It reveals the extent to which the January 6 Select Committee researched and documented the connections between Christian nationalist organizations and the planning of the event. (Sample disturbing facts: a two-hour meeting between Christian nationalist leaders and Trump aides at the White House December 29; five of six rally permits for the 6th were filed by Christian nationalist organizations.) But none of us read about this in the final report, nor learned about it during the hearings, because those materials were quashed.

I have some quarrel with Huffman's framing of these decisions (it feels overly personalizing about Liz Cheney), but mostly I am wondering why this material hasn't been FOIA'd, because it seems like it is in the public interest for people to know this material. And it's why I think the book should be widely read and discussed. Huffman ends the book with a more forward-looking chapter (groups and people that are fighting this trend), which will rely on significant public oxygen. May the book get it.

[M Reader]

Knowledge is power. That’s how I felt while reading Huffman’s No Prophets”. Huffman brings his unique experience, from a religious upbringing to becoming the first self-identified Humanist in Congress, into this carefully researched history of Christian nationalism. The historical details of this movement are chilling. The danger this power-inebriated movement poses to our democracy is far-reaching, chipping at what should be an incontestable separation of church and state. His presentation of his case is sobering. His lucid account of the distinction between factions within this dangerous movement offers clarity about motives and agendas.

Huffman doesn’t provide all the answers for curbing pugilistic and inhumane Christian nationalism. While members of the movement have key roles in our political system, Huffman reminds the reader that there are cracks in this movement. Its numbers are dwarfed against the ranks of compassionate Christians, jews, Muslims, Hindus and many other believers, non-believers, and pluralists. These groups need to work together.

Anyone working in politics, political and social science students, or those interested in understanding hidden agendas at the highest levels of our political system have the opportunity to gain clarity in No Prophets.

[Miguel]

Imagine

For this subject matter, the author is a preacher and I am the choir: as much as I try to ignore the religious nutjobs that are "out there" beyond my small bubble, it's good to be reminded of them from time to time in a package such as this. Was a little surprised that the author is a sitting congress-critter; I thought he was surely out of office to write such a book? But no - kudos for that. Although I do think that sometimes using the Humanist moniker is just a more polite way of saying you're not an atheist so as not to over-offend the bible thumpers. Also, a little disappointed that he didn't dedicate any space to other extreme religious weirdos that are impacting the world today - naturally the extremes in the middle east driving so much contemporary conflict (the Orthodox Jews and Muslims) and also the resurgence of Hindu hardliners; these groups also have deep destabilizing effects too.

[June]

No Prophets is a timely and thought-provoking look at the intersection of religion, politics, and democratic institutions. Jared Huffman lays out his arguments clearly and accessibly, making a complex and often emotionally charged topic easy to follow. Whether or not you agree with every conclusion, the book raises important questions about the role of faith in public life and the principles that underpin a pluralistic democracy.

What I appreciated most was the book’s focus on civic engagement and democratic norms rather than partisan point-scoring. Huffman draws on history, current events, and his own experiences to build a case that encourages readers to think critically about the future of American democracy. It’s the kind of book that sparks discussion and leaves you with plenty to consider after the final chapter.

[Stephanie Williams]

Given my time in Texas, generally, and my run for school board, more specifically, my experience and understanding of the threat of Christian Nationalism probably far exceeds the average American. But this book reconfirmed-and expanded-my belief that, believer or not, Christian Nationalism is a threat to American democracy that we cannot ignore. It doesn’t matter what your personal beliefs (or non-beliefs) are, what state you live in, what your personal circumstances may be—looking away or ignoring this threat because it’s “not your fight” is a dangerous abdication of our duties as Americans. I picked up this book in part because of my own experiences but also because of my shared religious history with the author. But I’m walking away from it with a renewed commitment to speaking out against Christian Nationalism and fighting for our (shared) democracy.

[LittleRead]

This book is exactly what I needed to read right now. It’s also what a large majority of Americans need to read as well. I have already recommended this among my group of friends and family who are also feeling the same way and we are all in agreement with the author.

I have begun asking friends who tell me they are Christian two things: 1. Regular Christian or MAGA Christian? 2. What exactly does Christianity mean to you? Nine out of ten their two answers were highly predictable and weaponizing one’s faith, which is an often a farce these days, is NOT very Christian. I highly recommend this book for everyone who claims they are a Christian and who is concerned with where this country has already gone over the past few years.

[Anthony Peidl]

4.25/5. Jared Huffman writes a great book about the dangers of what he believes is the most dangerous political movement of our day: Christian Nationalism. Pulling from history and his own experiences as a congressional representative, he details the Christian Nationalist movement by its biggest perpetrators, the legislation being passed, and how Christian Nationalists retain power through revisionist history, privilege, and openly dismantling academic, scientific, and secular institutions that get in their way. Huffman writes from an insider's perspective, and it was interesting (and enraging) to learn about what is happening behind closed doors. Pick this book up, it's a read worth your while.

[Hannah Bouchard]

Flew through this book, which I think is a testament to Huffman's writing and to-the-point style.

I went into this curious about the ties between Christianity and MAGA/Republicanism. This book clearly laid out the major points. I found the sections on the January 6th insurrection, the three major factions of Christian Nationalism, and the breakdown of Christian Zionism to be particularly great. Huffman is right that we must be willing to have difficult conversations and be openly and consistently critical of Christian Nationalism in order to save our democracy. Learning about the threat through this book was essential for me, and it filled a gap in my bookshelf and mind that I feel far more knowledgeable on now.

[Harlan]

The book breaks down the forces opposed to separation of church and state and for establishing Gilead in America. While this is not news, it is shocking the influence Christian Nationalist have over our government at all levels. He gives hope by mentioning the coalition of groups standing up for Enlightenment values and empathy, kindness. Team Compassion vs Team Vengeance.

I really like his pointing out that those who call for the 10 Commandments to be posted everywhere are supporting Moses, not Jesus, even though they constantly say they are Team Jesus.

That the guy in the Oval Office is holding all the antagonistic branches of Christian Nationalists together, gives hope that once he is gone, the infighting will hinder their efforts to make the USA a patriarchal, fascist country.