'American Fascists' - book on Dominionism

[Soldier of the One]

I'm gonna crawl out from under my rock here and ask who has heard of the leftist author Chris Hedges.

He's written a book called 'American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America'. I've *just* started reading it and it's really great.

Here's a link to the wiki on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Fascists

Here's a bit of blurb:

American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America is a non-fiction book by American Pulitzer Prize journalist Chris Hedges, published in January 2007. Hedges is a former seminary student with a master's degree in divinity from Harvard and was a long-time foreign correspondent for The New York Times.

Publishers Weekly wrote of the book: "As a Harvard Divinity School graduate, his investigation of the Christian Right agenda is even more alarming given its lucidity. Citing the psychology and sociology of fascism and cults, including the work of German historian Fritz Stern, Hedges draws striking parallels between 20th-century totalitarian movements and the highly organized, well-funded 'dominionist movement,' an influential theocratic sect within the country's huge evangelical population. Rooted in a radical Calvinism, and wrapping its apocalyptic, vehemently militant, sexist and homophobic vision in patriotic and religious rhetoric, dominionism seeks absolute power in a Christian state. Hedges's reportage profiles both former members and true believers, evoking the particular characteristics of this American variant of fascism. His argument against what he sees as a democratic society's suicidal tolerance for intolerant movements has its own paradoxes. But this urgent book forcefully illuminates what many across the political spectrum will recognize as a serious and growing threat to the very concept and practice of an open society."[1]

Francine Prose of O, The Oprah Magazine wrote "Throughout, Hedges documents, and reflects on, what he feels is the bigotry, the homophobia, the fanaticism—and the deeply un-Christian ideology—that pose a clear and present danger to our precious and fragile republic."[2]

Yup, this does sound like it's about all our favorite fundies. Nice/scary to get some bit of (scholarly) context for what we discuss here at FJ.

[greek_chorus]

This sounds like it'll be good. I'm going to have to add this to my Amazon wish list. Thanks for posting.

[IceTwinkie]

Ooh sounds provocative! I added it to my kindle queue. Thanx!

[meda]

This is a good read. Scarily enough it's actually a little dated since it was published 5 years ago, before Citizens United unleashed the great tsunami of money and interest group political ads.

[Soldier of the One]

Greek Chorus, Ice Twinkie - you're welcome :)

Meda - that is scary. I realize it's dated and wonder how much worse things have gotten. He still provides a very comprehensive analysis (and I'm guessing here - but does that make the book 'better' than Kathryn Joyce's 'Quiverfull'? Haven't read that).

Do y'all think the comparison with 'fascism' applies to fundies? Political theorists, go for it!

[meda]

I think the focus is very different than Joyce's book. Hedges is writing about Dominionism and government, and the networks and power structures that have been built to further the agenda of the Christian Right. I actually think that is different than the people profiled by Joyce, who are attempting to withdraw from secular society and create a parallel religious society based in part on a whatewashed vision of American history. They come from the same place, and probably want the same things, but their methods are different.

Hedges ialks about the actual power grab, and I think fascist is an appropriate term, since those people really do want a completely homogenous "Christian" nation with rigid herarchies of authority enforced by a police state.

[SamuraiKatz]

Jeff Sharlett published two books on the "C Street" group. C street has it's hooks in a number of congress persons on both sides of the political aisle. C street played a hand in both the John Ensign and Mark Sanford "scandals". This group also sponsors the National Prayer Breakfast and pushed the "kill the gays" laws in Uganda. These were published after the Chris Hedges book.

The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power. The book investigates the political power of The Family, a secretive association of Christian evangelicals. 2008

In 2010, Little Brown published C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy 2010

[Soldier of the One]

Thanks, SamuraiKatz - I was telling my husband about 'the Family' when we were discussing the Hedges book but I didn't have any details. I will pass this on to him.

I've been a lurker/visitor/poster to FJ for a couple of years now. My absolutely first gateway fundies were 'Big Love' - FLDS polygyny in it's various guises. The show introduced me to that phenomenon. From that point, I start reading up on that, also stumbled onto some 'Christian polygamy' websites and learnt about female submission (of which I had never heard until that point!) I don't quite remember how, but a google session rendered 'Ladies Against Feminism' and the rest is, as they say, history. I read up about all sorts of religions, cults, countercultures and social movements so this is just one of my different oddball interests.

I've been telling my husband about Christian Patriarchy for a while but he never took it very seriously. He always just considered it a fringe movement. Until we both started reading the Hedges book. He's like 'holy shit, you're right, these folks are scary!' And then I said, 'I hang out at this anti-fundie forum for a reason'. He might not be a full FJ convert but he understands my morbid fascination more now.