What do you think?
Rate this book
Republican Jesus: How the Right Has Rewritten the Gospels
The complete guide to debunking right-wing misinterpretations of the Bible—from economics and immigration to gender and sexuality. Jesus loves borders, guns, unborn babies, and economic prosperity and hates homosexuality, taxes, welfare, and universal healthcare—or so say many Republican politicians, pundits, and preachers. Through outrageous misreadings of the New Testament gospels that started almost a century ago, conservative influencers have conjured a version of Jesus who speaks to their fears, desires, and resentments.
In Republican Jesus, Tony Keddie explains not only where this right-wing Christ came from and what he stands for but also why this version of Jesus is a fraud. By restoring Republicans’ cherry-picked gospel texts to their original literary and historical contexts, Keddie dismantles the biblical basis for Republican positions on hot-button issues like Big Government, taxation, abortion, immigration, and climate change. At the same time, he introduces readers to an ancient Jesus whose life experiences and ethics were totally unlike those of modern Americans, conservatives and liberals alike.
In Republican Jesus, Tony Keddie explains not only where this right-wing Christ came from and what he stands for but also why this version of Jesus is a fraud. By restoring Republicans’ cherry-picked gospel texts to their original literary and historical contexts, Keddie dismantles the biblical basis for Republican positions on hot-button issues like Big Government, taxation, abortion, immigration, and climate change. At the same time, he introduces readers to an ancient Jesus whose life experiences and ethics were totally unlike those of modern Americans, conservatives and liberals alike.
376 pages, Hardcover
Published October 6, 2020
56 people are currently reading
606 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
September 5, 2023
“No one reads the Bible more than me” ~President Donald J. Trump
Armed with a protestant dogma that has been repackaged as corporate and capitalist, far-right American theocrats have duped an enormous number of white Christians into compliance and complicity with their coup d'état.
To paraphrase the author, Republican Jesus is white, working-class and pro-life. After he and his family legally immigrated to Egypt, he returned to the “rural heartland of northern Israel” where he became an aspiring religious reformer with an aversion for the poor and an affinity for sidearms. Republican Jesus opposed Big Government but not capital punishment, which, considering how he died, is beyond ironic.
Republican doctrine denounces big government while promoting big church. I don’t know who first coined the term “spherical idiocy” but it is an ideal idiom for conservative evangelical philosophy (it is spherical because it is an idiocy from every angle).
Such is the bizzaro world in which we (primarily Americans but not exclusively Americans) now live. I didn’t necessarily need Tony Keddie and his book to point this out but it is nice to know that I’m not the only person on the continent who is in a perpetual state of eye-roll.
Armed with a protestant dogma that has been repackaged as corporate and capitalist, far-right American theocrats have duped an enormous number of white Christians into compliance and complicity with their coup d'état.
To paraphrase the author, Republican Jesus is white, working-class and pro-life. After he and his family legally immigrated to Egypt, he returned to the “rural heartland of northern Israel” where he became an aspiring religious reformer with an aversion for the poor and an affinity for sidearms. Republican Jesus opposed Big Government but not capital punishment, which, considering how he died, is beyond ironic.
Republican doctrine denounces big government while promoting big church. I don’t know who first coined the term “spherical idiocy” but it is an ideal idiom for conservative evangelical philosophy (it is spherical because it is an idiocy from every angle).
Such is the bizzaro world in which we (primarily Americans but not exclusively Americans) now live. I didn’t necessarily need Tony Keddie and his book to point this out but it is nice to know that I’m not the only person on the continent who is in a perpetual state of eye-roll.
December 31, 2021
I was expecting Keddie to attempt ripping the face off right-wing political interpreters of the Bible, exposing the hypocrisy of self-righteous ethno-nationalism, etc. And he does explain that “Trump and his supporters have reinvented Republican Jesus as a wealth-loving, positive-thinking nationalist.” But actually, Keddie is mainly concerned that many people greatly oversimplify the Bible. To challenge popular oversimplifications, he examines the Bible’s diversity of messages and the contexts of the times and places where they were written. For example, he points out that the book of Revelation denounced “those who say they are Jews, and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan” (2:9 and 3:9). This line seemed to defend “real Jews.” But many later Christians interpreted it as a declaration that all Jews were a synagogue of Satan, and that any Jews who failed to convert from their ancestral religion deserved God’s eternal punishment.
Keddie looks at a range of hot-button culture war issues including racism, state-backing for religion, the values of nuclear families, abortion, taxes, and the “God-given” right to bear guns. He does this with more consideration for textual and historical complexity than probably most Bible readers are willing to put up with. But I think he does a decent, rather studious, non-hypocritical job. As he urges near the end of the book,
“It is crucial that ancient [scriptures] … be interpreted as products of specific historical circumstances. If they aren’t, they can too easily be used to sanctify hatred toward whoever happens to be the interpreter’s most reviled opponents – toward liberals or conservatives, toward Christians, Jews, or Muslims, or even toward [Harry] Potterheads.”
If that’s too complicated, Keddie also quotes Anne Lamont’s simpler observation: “You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.”
Keddie looks at a range of hot-button culture war issues including racism, state-backing for religion, the values of nuclear families, abortion, taxes, and the “God-given” right to bear guns. He does this with more consideration for textual and historical complexity than probably most Bible readers are willing to put up with. But I think he does a decent, rather studious, non-hypocritical job. As he urges near the end of the book,
“It is crucial that ancient [scriptures] … be interpreted as products of specific historical circumstances. If they aren’t, they can too easily be used to sanctify hatred toward whoever happens to be the interpreter’s most reviled opponents – toward liberals or conservatives, toward Christians, Jews, or Muslims, or even toward [Harry] Potterheads.”
If that’s too complicated, Keddie also quotes Anne Lamont’s simpler observation: “You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.”
December 12, 2021
So this review is going to have to be incredibly nuanced and even critical at times. But, I hope I can be fair and even express the good I found from this book.
The books premise is what really gripped my attention. I knew right away that it was more than likely written by a progressive Christian, or a progressive atheist. My initial feeling was correct. The author is a self proclaimed progressive democrat who is ex Roman Catholic. He rejects any form of religion, but it’s clear that his Roman Catholicism bleeds through at times (more so, his understanding of the gospel.)
Right away, this book made some fantastic points in the opening intro. However, it was like he was divided in his on mind between writing a book that shows the faults of American politics and the creation of a “republican Jesus” and his need to disparage the Bible as a historic text that bears internal authority. It was strange, to be honest. As on the surface it appeared he was attempting to write an objective polemic against the republican Jesus - and yet he was letting his own bias about the Bible bleed through. He very much could have written this book without his own little peanut gallery on the Bible. It hurt his case, and distracted from his points. Especially because he was attempting to deconstruct the hermeneutical framework of what created the republican Jesus. He was honest though. He never pretended to be something he is not, and ultimately he is a historian by profession. It’s clear he uses definitions correctly, he was able to flesh out biblical doctrines well. He at one time kinda misunderstood Calvinism, but he wasn’t wrong about certain applications and therefore it was a strong argument.
It was incredibly fascinating the history surrounding american politics, I do think my of his arguments were more subjective as it can not fully be rooted in an objective reality as he was trying to make a case of how certain things over time have led to certain implications. Although, I did see what he sees and it was especially fascinating how Arminianism has really influenced much of american politics in today’s context.
This is not a biblical book, it’s not a Christian book, and it is not even a gospel literate book. This man is not a believer and his arguments are completely void of Christian solutions. As a result his arguments become weak because they lack any real solution. His arguments are really just rooted in how republicans have their own hermeneutical framework and how it’s wrong. But, he also isn’t a Christian so he doesn’t really have any place to say they are wrong... because he doesn’t even hold to a Christian hermeneutic himself. Again, this is what ultimately made his arguments fall flat because he’s an outsider looking in and writing a book that is more a passion project of his instead of an apologetic for the republican who has an upside down turned around hermeneutic that isn’t historical nor biblical.
All that to say, this book is helpful in many ways. I agreed with him on many points, but it would also require an incredibly discerning reader. I mean, you need to really have a good understanding of the historical basis of scripture, and then you need an incredibly good understanding of the gospel. I would also not recommend this book for someone who is already pre disposed to disparage Republicans. Because it gives a lot of shade and could potentially led a person to hate the Republican Party all the more without any nuance or grace.
I am a reformed Christian in my convictions - I could properly be defined as an evangelical Christian - although I prefer reformed. (Not Reformed proper, but little r reformed.) I am not a republican, I more closely align with libertarianism. His assessment on libertarianism was also interesting. I really dislike the republican Jesus as he distorts real Jesus, and so ultimately this book made some solid points in showing how republican Jesus is just a figment of American Christians imagination.
Would I recommend this book? Maybe, only to a very small group of people who I know are solid and not prone to be tossed to and fro. It was interesting, it was not always right, sometimes it’s claims were outrageous. But, it’s worth the read to understand a different perspective. To challenge your own preconceived notions, and to stir in you to dig deeper. There are some historical claims he makes I want to challenge - and study more about.
This review is long, but proceed with discernment and check yourself for why you want to read it.
The books premise is what really gripped my attention. I knew right away that it was more than likely written by a progressive Christian, or a progressive atheist. My initial feeling was correct. The author is a self proclaimed progressive democrat who is ex Roman Catholic. He rejects any form of religion, but it’s clear that his Roman Catholicism bleeds through at times (more so, his understanding of the gospel.)
Right away, this book made some fantastic points in the opening intro. However, it was like he was divided in his on mind between writing a book that shows the faults of American politics and the creation of a “republican Jesus” and his need to disparage the Bible as a historic text that bears internal authority. It was strange, to be honest. As on the surface it appeared he was attempting to write an objective polemic against the republican Jesus - and yet he was letting his own bias about the Bible bleed through. He very much could have written this book without his own little peanut gallery on the Bible. It hurt his case, and distracted from his points. Especially because he was attempting to deconstruct the hermeneutical framework of what created the republican Jesus. He was honest though. He never pretended to be something he is not, and ultimately he is a historian by profession. It’s clear he uses definitions correctly, he was able to flesh out biblical doctrines well. He at one time kinda misunderstood Calvinism, but he wasn’t wrong about certain applications and therefore it was a strong argument.
It was incredibly fascinating the history surrounding american politics, I do think my of his arguments were more subjective as it can not fully be rooted in an objective reality as he was trying to make a case of how certain things over time have led to certain implications. Although, I did see what he sees and it was especially fascinating how Arminianism has really influenced much of american politics in today’s context.
This is not a biblical book, it’s not a Christian book, and it is not even a gospel literate book. This man is not a believer and his arguments are completely void of Christian solutions. As a result his arguments become weak because they lack any real solution. His arguments are really just rooted in how republicans have their own hermeneutical framework and how it’s wrong. But, he also isn’t a Christian so he doesn’t really have any place to say they are wrong... because he doesn’t even hold to a Christian hermeneutic himself. Again, this is what ultimately made his arguments fall flat because he’s an outsider looking in and writing a book that is more a passion project of his instead of an apologetic for the republican who has an upside down turned around hermeneutic that isn’t historical nor biblical.
All that to say, this book is helpful in many ways. I agreed with him on many points, but it would also require an incredibly discerning reader. I mean, you need to really have a good understanding of the historical basis of scripture, and then you need an incredibly good understanding of the gospel. I would also not recommend this book for someone who is already pre disposed to disparage Republicans. Because it gives a lot of shade and could potentially led a person to hate the Republican Party all the more without any nuance or grace.
I am a reformed Christian in my convictions - I could properly be defined as an evangelical Christian - although I prefer reformed. (Not Reformed proper, but little r reformed.) I am not a republican, I more closely align with libertarianism. His assessment on libertarianism was also interesting. I really dislike the republican Jesus as he distorts real Jesus, and so ultimately this book made some solid points in showing how republican Jesus is just a figment of American Christians imagination.
Would I recommend this book? Maybe, only to a very small group of people who I know are solid and not prone to be tossed to and fro. It was interesting, it was not always right, sometimes it’s claims were outrageous. But, it’s worth the read to understand a different perspective. To challenge your own preconceived notions, and to stir in you to dig deeper. There are some historical claims he makes I want to challenge - and study more about.
This review is long, but proceed with discernment and check yourself for why you want to read it.
December 5, 2020
An enlightening book, well written and researched. The author presents a compelling case of how some right wing conservative Christians have fabricated a Jesus based on their own flawed, literal & fundamentalist interpretation of scriptures, and how the Republican Party and especially Trump use that Jesus to gain political power.
December 10, 2020
Keddie's personal voice and opinions bleed through heavily on every page. This initial gives the book's first section a highly cynical voice; however, Keddie backs up his accusations and insights with both biblical and historical sources, and is very aware of where his critical lense may indeed be a hindrance.
That being said, this is a phenomenal spiritual and intellectual challenge. It confronts modern political stances and the spoon-fed nature of biblical understanding in the 21st century.
That being said, this is a phenomenal spiritual and intellectual challenge. It confronts modern political stances and the spoon-fed nature of biblical understanding in the 21st century.
January 2, 2021
An entertaining analysis of how the teachings of Jesus by skipping over text and pulling text out of comments became a Republican icon. Jesus never addressed democracy, capitalism, guns, government assistance to the poor or abortion but is cited as having opinions on all.
At times the author skips over a full analysis of his conclusions in the text but the endnotes are essentially half the book. The decision to make the text a TLDR summary of the notes will appeal to some while others reading the book and opting to avoid the endnotes may find the arguments thin.
At times the author skips over a full analysis of his conclusions in the text but the endnotes are essentially half the book. The decision to make the text a TLDR summary of the notes will appeal to some while others reading the book and opting to avoid the endnotes may find the arguments thin.
November 13, 2020
This is a wonderful book, and I really enjoyed it, but I'm not sure the author had any evangelicals read it because well..... It's a bit..... Of an issue in some places.
Any Evangelical will tell you that Russell Moore and Jerry Fallwell Jr are NOT on the same side, but the author pushes two quotes they said together to make it look like they are in agreement. Elsewhere, he completely overlooks that Pauline argument about homosexuality and dismisses anti LGBT Christians as getting their theology from only Leviticus. He also makes a few references about Revelation being anti Paul and Peter, which is... Interesting since this would then make up a third completely different perspective. He takes this from the I'll defined phrase "synagogue of satan" to be that it means "Jewish converts" are not following Jesus if they don't observe Jewish law, which..... Maybe??? But it's definitely not as clear as the author makes it seem in its interpretation. Yes, I looked it up.
That said, he's right about his conclusions about the unwise wedding of Jesus and Republicanism. His analysis of homosexuality is excellent and a learned a LOT in the section about charity that I didn't know. I'm decidedly picky, being an Evangelical and a sociologist interested in Evangelicalism myself. But I think it could have been more honest about the places where Evangelicalism isn't simplistic in its thinking and not have been so dismissive as some really complex theological issues.
Any Evangelical will tell you that Russell Moore and Jerry Fallwell Jr are NOT on the same side, but the author pushes two quotes they said together to make it look like they are in agreement. Elsewhere, he completely overlooks that Pauline argument about homosexuality and dismisses anti LGBT Christians as getting their theology from only Leviticus. He also makes a few references about Revelation being anti Paul and Peter, which is... Interesting since this would then make up a third completely different perspective. He takes this from the I'll defined phrase "synagogue of satan" to be that it means "Jewish converts" are not following Jesus if they don't observe Jewish law, which..... Maybe??? But it's definitely not as clear as the author makes it seem in its interpretation. Yes, I looked it up.
That said, he's right about his conclusions about the unwise wedding of Jesus and Republicanism. His analysis of homosexuality is excellent and a learned a LOT in the section about charity that I didn't know. I'm decidedly picky, being an Evangelical and a sociologist interested in Evangelicalism myself. But I think it could have been more honest about the places where Evangelicalism isn't simplistic in its thinking and not have been so dismissive as some really complex theological issues.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2024
“Christian Zionists’ apocalyptic rhetoric about defending Jews by supporting Israel is a smokescreen used 'to shield actual neo-Nazis, bona-fide racists and their enablers from criticism.'”
say it louder for the people in the back!!!!!
say it louder for the people in the back!!!!!
February 22, 2021
Not gonna lie, I’m disappointed. This is pretty much unreadable. I skimmed a hundred pages and then gladly bailed. I’d love to read a similar book that gets to the damn point.
September 12, 2021
This gave me a good historical and cultural understanding of the religious Right in the US. Some of the deep dives into interpretations of Bible versus and actions attributed to Jesus got a little too dense for me as a non-Christian. Still it was helpful to have a Biblical scholar separate fact from fiction from interpretation from propaganda.
September 27, 2021
Interesting book with a lot of information. Some of it was hard to follow, but overall, it was very interesting and informative. The author talks about how the Christian right (who are mostly Republican) have falsely translated certain biblical passages and misunderstood biblical meanings to promote their own agenda in our world today.
July 14, 2024
I had gone into this book with low expectations, expecting it to be another liberal Bible verse quote-off against right wingers; I was pleasantly surprised to see Keddie outright reject this approach and instead take the work in a very interesting direction.
The book begins by giving a rough genealogy of certain protestant (though other denominations may lend themselves to right wing interpretation with enough tinkering) readings of the Bible which impose anarchronistic éléments into biblical texts (much in line with the work of other scholars of religion like Brent nongbri). Right wing ideologues often misattribute anti-abortion and pro-life, modern gender norms to ancient people, apply modern concepts like secularism and church and state separation to a context where many of these things are outright alien.
I think this refreshing, historically-minded approach allows not only a more rigorous analysis of ideological artefacts like religious texts but a way to meaningfully attack some of these pervasive narratives in our contemporary society. The confluence of capitalism, racism, etc. create ideological products which obfuscate the root causes of many issues which only a historical analysis can pick apart.
Interesting book, worth skimming at the very least.
The book begins by giving a rough genealogy of certain protestant (though other denominations may lend themselves to right wing interpretation with enough tinkering) readings of the Bible which impose anarchronistic éléments into biblical texts (much in line with the work of other scholars of religion like Brent nongbri). Right wing ideologues often misattribute anti-abortion and pro-life, modern gender norms to ancient people, apply modern concepts like secularism and church and state separation to a context where many of these things are outright alien.
I think this refreshing, historically-minded approach allows not only a more rigorous analysis of ideological artefacts like religious texts but a way to meaningfully attack some of these pervasive narratives in our contemporary society. The confluence of capitalism, racism, etc. create ideological products which obfuscate the root causes of many issues which only a historical analysis can pick apart.
Interesting book, worth skimming at the very least.
July 27, 2023
How the Bible has been misinterpreted and misused
The book shows that many Christians, even the most devout, in fact know little about what the Bible actually says and even less about the times in which the Bible was written. This allows the Bible to be used to support political positions that are in fact not supported by the Bible at all and in many ways contradict it. I am continually amazed at the amount of expert Biblical scholarship, and by the quantity of time and effort that must be expended to acquire the knowledge to understand what those who wrote the Bible actually said and/or meant. Most people have no idea that such scholarship even exists.
The book shows that many Christians, even the most devout, in fact know little about what the Bible actually says and even less about the times in which the Bible was written. This allows the Bible to be used to support political positions that are in fact not supported by the Bible at all and in many ways contradict it. I am continually amazed at the amount of expert Biblical scholarship, and by the quantity of time and effort that must be expended to acquire the knowledge to understand what those who wrote the Bible actually said and/or meant. Most people have no idea that such scholarship even exists.
November 7, 2023
Keddie has a wealth of knowledge here that I am sure many Evangelicals are getting their pants in a wad over. I expected this book to focus more on the spiritual inconsistency with Evangelicals and their blatant partisanship. While still focusing on the Evangelicals blatant partisanship it puts a microscope on their shameless black and white interpretations of the Bible. Although there some areas of this book I do not agree with and/or would like to do more research on, I am certainly a proponent of challenging the mainstream Evangelical movement and pointing out the hypocrisy and shallow tribalism that has diseased it’s culture.
It saddens me to see authors like Keddie so honestly sharing what they’ve seen from a group of people who self-righteously claim to know what love is. A book like this should be a wake-up call for many Christians and yet i wouldn’t be surprised if it fuels them to be even more staunch in their positions without taking a moment for self reflection.
I would love to see more books like this written from an “insider,” with no negativity to Keddie for not being a Christian. I just think it is eye-opening that there are less books written by Christians, my uneducated guess, because the Evangelical church tends to eat it’s own when confronted with harsh truths and or ostracize those that do not follow its strict political agenda. JESUS WASN’T POLITICAL. Thank you Keddie for attacking this important subject and gracing us with your knowledge.
It saddens me to see authors like Keddie so honestly sharing what they’ve seen from a group of people who self-righteously claim to know what love is. A book like this should be a wake-up call for many Christians and yet i wouldn’t be surprised if it fuels them to be even more staunch in their positions without taking a moment for self reflection.
I would love to see more books like this written from an “insider,” with no negativity to Keddie for not being a Christian. I just think it is eye-opening that there are less books written by Christians, my uneducated guess, because the Evangelical church tends to eat it’s own when confronted with harsh truths and or ostracize those that do not follow its strict political agenda. JESUS WASN’T POLITICAL. Thank you Keddie for attacking this important subject and gracing us with your knowledge.
September 27, 2022
Good, but could have been better. Went a bit easy. I would have hit a hell of a lot harder with no additional effort because there's just so much there and no matter what bullshit they try to fake you out with, they've laid their cards on the table for all to see and the bullshitting is over. Aside from other pre-existing facts like it was always bullshit to begin with. But that's another story. It's fun to play games with them when they don't read or know their own holy book... ;) Um,...oh yeah. Having coming from an extremely conservative background buried in the BS, I just want to end with not only have they rewritten, but in showing they're power-mad for no good reason (ie, a "Christian nation" when they exhibit none of the traditional Christian beliefs, or perhaps the opposite in their blood lust), a couple of necessary descriptions: "the greatest hypocrites in history" and "poses the greatest danger to the planet" for starters. There are so many more. Imagine how many tens or hundreds or more of millions of people who might have lived full lives if not for the bloodshed of religions. I can so see the appeal...
January 1, 2022
Very complicated historical reviews of biblical passages and how they were meant and how they are used now. This book is a difficult read. Very informative on the amount of manipulation and money big business has put into christian evangelical ministries and anti environmental, and anti anything else that would benefit big business and big money. It makes sense how the “solid south” went from completely Democrat to completely republican and with the belief that you cannot be a Christian and be a democrat. But all their money and propaganda has paid off in support of godless leaders, anti Semitic, anti people of color, anti Muslim, anti social programs, anti spending any money on the welfare of our citizens, keeping our infrastructure up to the rest of the word and anti education support(as socialism). Big business might have to pay their share of the price tag!!! And all this in the name of Jesus? Maybe that is why we have been sent a plague.
Very interesting historical perspective. Highly recommended.
Very interesting historical perspective. Highly recommended.
March 28, 2021
I thought this book was very thought provoking. It was definitely slow to get going though. The first several chapters prepared you for the more meaty conversations about specific topics. What I really appreciated though was how it forced me to recon with my own interpretations of Christianity and it provided good notes to see where the source came from. And like the author would themselves state, all reading comes with an interpretation and a bias from where that person came from. Something that should probably be more inherent in our every day approach but I find too often missing. I really appreciated it even though it seemed to take me forever.
May 11, 2021
My hopes were for cohesive biblical based arguments against the Republican Jesus, although the book did provide insights and information to debate the Republican Jesus the information was presented in a way that was sometimes more confusing than enlightening
November 2, 2023
Book: ****
Performance: ***
About Like You’d Expect
There is an obvious “conservative vs progressive” divide within American Society that is playing out in the American Christian Church … and while I though that I generally identified as part of the conservative side, I find it difficult to understand how I ended up outside of both camps these days as they sling “proof text” at each other to illustrate why they are right and their opponents are wrong. Perhaps the greatest surprise is my perception of just how far the “right” has moved so far away from what I generally see as Christ’s message. I had hopes that this book would provides some answers to that puzzle … and it does a reasonably good job, although there are definitely some Biblical interpretations that seem to be stretched a bit too far, I didn’t see anything that is not actually supported in some form within academia; although it does lean toward a more secular viewpoint and that is probably the only weakness I found (making the author something of an outsider who sometimes gets some viewpoints and nuances wrong).
The book probably has the greatest appeal to nonpartisans who are open to the information presented and willing to evaluate for themselves whether on not the arguments presented make sense. Unfortunately, the author’s personal voice or judgement sometimes undermines some of the material presented, so it is not likely to convince many readers … either that are already on his side and diametrically opposed. Personally I found myself in agreement or neutral that opposed for most of what he had to say.
The chapters and sections in this work are:
Introduction (41:00)
Part One: Who Is Republican Jesus (54:48)
Part Two: Where Does Republican Jesus Come From? (48:29)
Chapter 3: A Corporate Assault not he New Deal (51:42)
Chapter 4: Tea and Prosperity in the Age of Trump (1:00:42)
Part Three: What Does Republican Jesus Stand For? (1:05:18)
Chapter 6: Charity (1:00:01)
Chapter 7: Church and State (51:10)
Chapter 8: Protection from Invaders (48:44)
Chapter 9: The End of the World (1:02:42)
Afterword (08:50)
Some of the other points that really got my attention are:
I was given this free advance review/listener copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#RepublicanJesus #FreeAudiobookCodes
Performance: ***
About Like You’d Expect
There is an obvious “conservative vs progressive” divide within American Society that is playing out in the American Christian Church … and while I though that I generally identified as part of the conservative side, I find it difficult to understand how I ended up outside of both camps these days as they sling “proof text” at each other to illustrate why they are right and their opponents are wrong. Perhaps the greatest surprise is my perception of just how far the “right” has moved so far away from what I generally see as Christ’s message. I had hopes that this book would provides some answers to that puzzle … and it does a reasonably good job, although there are definitely some Biblical interpretations that seem to be stretched a bit too far, I didn’t see anything that is not actually supported in some form within academia; although it does lean toward a more secular viewpoint and that is probably the only weakness I found (making the author something of an outsider who sometimes gets some viewpoints and nuances wrong).
The book probably has the greatest appeal to nonpartisans who are open to the information presented and willing to evaluate for themselves whether on not the arguments presented make sense. Unfortunately, the author’s personal voice or judgement sometimes undermines some of the material presented, so it is not likely to convince many readers … either that are already on his side and diametrically opposed. Personally I found myself in agreement or neutral that opposed for most of what he had to say.
The chapters and sections in this work are:
Introduction (41:00)
Part One: Who Is Republican Jesus (54:48)
Part Two: Where Does Republican Jesus Come From? (48:29)
Chapter 3: A Corporate Assault not he New Deal (51:42)
Chapter 4: Tea and Prosperity in the Age of Trump (1:00:42)
Part Three: What Does Republican Jesus Stand For? (1:05:18)
Chapter 6: Charity (1:00:01)
Chapter 7: Church and State (51:10)
Chapter 8: Protection from Invaders (48:44)
Chapter 9: The End of the World (1:02:42)
Afterword (08:50)
Some of the other points that really got my attention are:
I was given this free advance review/listener copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#RepublicanJesus #FreeAudiobookCodes
October 29, 2023
Very interesting reading. It brings to light the fact that many of the things believed by the Christian Right are very new, and are not supported by the Bible. In fact, the Bible needs to be read with an eye to what was practiced or believed at the time the portions of it were written. Economics, religion, and government were all very tightly knit together in those times: Separation of Church & State did not exist. Even in New Testament times, the Temple collected taxes for all levels of government - including the special tax for the Maccabean Revolt (~169 BCE). Concepts such as sexual orientation did not exist, nor did foetal personhood. We're painting these 2000-3000 year old texts with modern ethics, beliefs, understanding and culture, and garbling it all up.
Garbling.... that is what the writers of the tracts do, along with editing - leaving portions out, adding in portions from another text, and adding in other things. So, where did these ministries come from and where are they getting the bulk of their money? It's not from individual tithes! It comes from billionaires and very large corporations - all tax deductible.
It wasn't this way a few decades ago, but the beginnings of this trend started to rev up during the 19th century - sometimes, the 18th century.
Garbling.... that is what the writers of the tracts do, along with editing - leaving portions out, adding in portions from another text, and adding in other things. So, where did these ministries come from and where are they getting the bulk of their money? It's not from individual tithes! It comes from billionaires and very large corporations - all tax deductible.
It wasn't this way a few decades ago, but the beginnings of this trend started to rev up during the 19th century - sometimes, the 18th century.
March 27, 2021
Written by a man from across the river in the People's Democratic Republic of CANADA this is a blistering rant against anyone who has ever had a Conservative thought as he has been reeducated after growing up Catholic.
The second half examines social issues from the perspective of the Roman Dictatorship and how those thoughts compare/contrast to those living in the Democratic Republic of the United States. Some swearing, SEVENTY PAGES of footnotes. Occasional insight to allow readers to determine what they believe and why? B/W images.
The second half examines social issues from the perspective of the Roman Dictatorship and how those thoughts compare/contrast to those living in the Democratic Republic of the United States. Some swearing, SEVENTY PAGES of footnotes. Occasional insight to allow readers to determine what they believe and why? B/W images.
December 27, 2021
An interesting little book that discusses how Conservatives interpret scriptures and how people from the time of their writing would have interpreted the scriptures. He discusses how Conservatives usurp the meanings for political purposes. So that was very good to hear. However, it might have been unavoidable, but I was disappointed how much he went into politics rather than focusing on the scripture interpretation (though I agreed with him).
December 27, 2023
Impressive and detailed, author Tony Keddie dissects the origins of the intertwining of religion and politics to shape the leadership of the Republican Party and modern day conservatism. He depicts the right wing manipulation and commoditization of the teachings of our saviour. If knowledge is power then you will be very powerful after your read this brilliant book.
June 20, 2022
pretty good
I finished this book about a week ago, and apparently forgot to review it. It was good. There are several parts of the Bible that I feel some people take out of context or misconstrue in order to belittle or ostracize others.
I finished this book about a week ago, and apparently forgot to review it. It was good. There are several parts of the Bible that I feel some people take out of context or misconstrue in order to belittle or ostracize others.
June 11, 2023
Enjoyable read, and there were some interesting connections pointed out between evangelical theological history and capitalist interests towards the beginning of the book. On the whole though, I'd recommend "Jesus and John Wayne" over this book for most who might be interested in this subject.
July 24, 2025
This should be required reading for every American. The pogrom, integrating religion into pro-corporation and pro-wealth accumulation ideology, has been growing since FDR's New Deal. It's ugly how people have turned "the Golden Rule" into "Rule by Gold."
February 26, 2023
Very dense, but the author makes good points
September 21, 2025
to think that we’re on round two of this bullshit is actually insane
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews