Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies

David P. Gushee is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, Atlanta, Georgia. He also serves as chair in Christian social ethics at Vrije Universiteit and senior research fellow at International Baptist Theological Study Centre, both in Amsterdam. His many other books include Righteous Gentiles of the Holocaust: Genocide and Moral Obligation.

"American democracy is in danger. How do we protect it from authoritarian reactionary Christianity? On January 6, 2021, a group of Americans stormed the Capitol to prevent the certification of their political opponent's election in the name of Jesus Christ and his representative on earth, Donald Trump. How could this have happened? David P. Gushee tackles the question in this timely work of Christian political ethics. Gushee calls us to preserve democratic norms of civil rights, rule of law, and shared governance, even as many Christians grow reactionary and antidemocratic. Broadly surveying global politics and modern history, he analyzes the ways Christians have supported authoritarianism today and in the past, aiming to understand why and how this happens-and how to prevent it. Ultimately, he develops a better model of Christian political engagement, looking to traditions of congregational democracy, dissident Black Christian politics, and covenantal theology as a guide. Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies advocates for sane, ethical, and compassionate politics in a world where many Christians are instigating discord and vying for power. Any concerned Christian will leave its pages with eyes clear to the dangers of our current form of political engagement and with insight into what democracy is truly meant to be. "