Daniel Payne
In American Christianity and the Rise of Fascism, Daniel Payne delivers a searing analysis of how significant segments of American Christianity have been co-opted by fascist politics, betraying the very Gospel they claim to represent. Drawing on extensive theological scholarship and historical analysis, Payne traces the spiritual and political forces that have transformed much of evangelical Christianity from a prophetic voice into a vehicle for authoritarian power.This unflinching examination reveals how the pursuit of political dominance has corrupted Christian witness, turning churches into recruiting grounds for nationalist ideology and transforming the message of Jesus-who welcomed strangers, blessed peacemakers, and served the marginalized-into a weapon against the vulnerable. Payne exposes the mechanisms of this corruption: the scapegoating of immigrants and minorities, the weaponization of religious language, the embrace of cruelty as policy, and the systematic abandonment of Christian ethics for political expedience.But this is more than a critique-it is a call to reclaim authentic Christianity. Payne offers a path forward through genuine repentance, spiritual resistance, and the recovery of Gospel principles that stand in radical opposition to fascist ideology. He challenges Christians to choose between comfortable cultural religion and costly discipleship, between the seductive power of earthly kingdoms and faithful witness to the Kingdom of God.Urgent, prophetic, and deeply theological, this book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the spiritual crisis at the heart of American politics and the hope that lies in authentic Christian faith.
