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A review by samferree
The Religion of American Greatness by Paul D. Miller
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.0
I have read several books on conservatism and religion in America to try to better understand contemporary politics and the "culture war" and this is easily one of the most interesting, informative, and useful. As the forward by David French points out, most of the books about white evangelicalism in America are written either by outsiders or former believers who no longer affiliate with that community, but the author is a committed white evangelical who is determined to convince his coreligionists the error of their ways and encourage them to repent. Miller is definitely not a leftist and frequently takes jabs at American progressivism; sometimes I do think his description of progressivism is not how I would define it, but for the most his criticisms are thoughtful and insightful, though that's not the focus of the book. Miller expertly and seamlessly switches back and forth between rhetorical arguments and styles that will appeal to conservative Christians and secular readers across the political spectrum. As a self-described progressive, I'm actually looking forward to reading his forthcoming book critiquing progressivism directly because I know Miller will give me a lot to think about even if he does not change my mind.
As Miller confesses at the beginning, the people he most wants to reach (self-described Christian nationalists, who are overwhelmingly white, non-college-educated, and make up the MAGA base) are extremely unlikely to read this book. Miller is an academic, and he knows his rhetorical limitations. Instead, his intended audience is clergy. The Religion of American Greatness is, essentially, a long pastoral letter advising ministers how they can and should push back against Christian nationalism in their flock. Miller lays out Christian nationalist arguments as fairly as possible and then methodically and persuasively explains why they are factually mistaken, harmful, and inconsistent with both Christian theology and the American creed (as expressed through the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, which is essentially Liberalism). I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in better understanding the phenomenon of Christian nationalism in America and who may be looking to push back against it.
As Miller confesses at the beginning, the people he most wants to reach (self-described Christian nationalists, who are overwhelmingly white, non-college-educated, and make up the MAGA base) are extremely unlikely to read this book. Miller is an academic, and he knows his rhetorical limitations. Instead, his intended audience is clergy. The Religion of American Greatness is, essentially, a long pastoral letter advising ministers how they can and should push back against Christian nationalism in their flock. Miller lays out Christian nationalist arguments as fairly as possible and then methodically and persuasively explains why they are factually mistaken, harmful, and inconsistent with both Christian theology and the American creed (as expressed through the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, which is essentially Liberalism). I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in better understanding the phenomenon of Christian nationalism in America and who may be looking to push back against it.