"Another great book documenting the malignant and rapidly-spreading tumor that threatens to destroy not only our great SECULAR nation but the entire modern ( read ADVANCED ) world and all the painstaking progress we humans have made over the past 500 years. Make no mistake: these so-called Christian nutjobs want to turn back the clock to a romanticized vision they have of something called "Biblical Times", when everyone - especially women and slaves - knew their place, and all was right with the world. Of course these modern-day religious freaks are enjoying the fruits of the Enlightenment and scientific progress by living much longer and healthier lives; they fly in airplanes and go to medical doctors, neither of which existed in the good old days. Many of these people live in the deep south, where the heat and humidity are legendary but, thanks to SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS they are comfortable in their air conditioned cars and houses and HUGE Mega-churches - again, none of that in Biblical times. I say let these people live ouit their visions and dreams: send them back to where they think they came from, the roaring-hot Middle East, with no technologies invented after the year 1. See how much they like that, and then they can get back to the rest of us with an update - presumably written on parchment. But - wait! Most people there and then were illiterate. They'll have to make it an Oral Tradition for a few generations before somebody - the world's first used car dealer? - figures out "writing" and "paper". But then that would be "progress", and progress ( and of course Progressives ) is Bad, very Bad.
This book is a great clarion call for all rational and reasonable and patriotic citizens to wake up and turn back the tide of these idiots, before it's too late."

"Another great book documenting the malignant and rapidly-spreading tumor that threatens to destroy ...

"Christian fundamentalism has been a national problem at least since the Scopes Monkey trial; it is more or less a development of the past quarter-century, however, that such fundamentalism has gained political clout. Michelle Goldberg, a secular liberal Jewish feminist (one wonders if her being a lesbian would significantly increase the right-wing paranoia these labels provoke) has assembled a terrifying factbook of the history, agenda, and methods of the religious right, all with considerable humanity, felicitous writing, and minimal elitism.

All of her subjects, from Focus on the Family to the wretchedly misnamed Discovery Institute (the main thinktank behind "intelligent design") are easy to oppose. Goldberg's feat is to show how such groups, so naturally objectionable to secularists and the mainstream religious, have ascended to heights previously unthinkable within the Republican party. Her analysis is well-documented and journalistically sound (though plenty of outside sources are used, she also spent much time with primary material, including conference calls with important religious right figures).

I must admit to find it a depressing read. I am, however, cautiously optimistic that the type of lunacy described in the book is at a high water mark; this was written before the 2006 congressional elections, and John McCain (to say nothing of Obama or Hillary) doesn't have near the influence in religious right circles as Bush does. Still, as Goldberg points out, some of their most important advances were made during the Clinton years.

Though an unabashed secularist, Goldberg refreshingly does not withhold support for sensible religious leaders. Most prominent among them is Jim Wallis, the evangelical progressive who has become something of a go-to man for churches that are tired of their right wing captivity.

Topical and urgent, it will also stand as a fine history of a peculiarly American political movement. Read it, wake up, and turn your faith, whether in humanity or the divine, into action."

"Christian fundamentalism has been a national problem at least since the Scopes Monkey trial; it is ...

"The organized push from Evangelicals to dissolve the separation between church and state is currently one of the greatest threats to individual rights in the long-term for United States citizens. With Kingdom Coming, Michelle Goldberg has compiled an excellent collection of facts to corroborate this virulent movement is unfortunately a reality and a serious threat. For example, she discusses the Constitution Restoration Act, which would have made it illegal for individuals to appeal state-ruled court cases regarding separation of church and state to federal courts. Although this act never made it through the senate, it passed the house! This is horrendous!

I particularly like the encyclopedic intellectual history that is documented in this book. The author describes various different philosophical views of these radical religious groups, including: Dominionism, Christian Reconstructionism, Premillenialism, Postmillenialism and the like.

Goldberg also goes to great length to discuss the influence on these schools of thoughts from various intellectuals. These include the prolific writer R.J. Rushdoony, who, if I remember correctly, is the father of Christian Reconstructionism. Rushdoony argued that homosexuals, blasphemers and unchaste women deserve death. He also demanded for the abolition of public schools (since he believed that all women should be forced to educate their own children) as well as abolish democracy (since Christian law is already delineated in the Bible.) Goldberg also discusses many other influential Evangelical intellectuals such as Christian revisionist David Barton (who writes that there is no separation between church and state in the Establishment Clause), Barbara Stenzel (President Bush's abstinence only education mastermind), Marvin Olasky (father of Compassionate Conservatism), Reverend Moon (Founder of the Unification Church, the Washington Times and a major Bush donor) and numerous others including the usual suspects of Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and James Dobson.

My only complaint is that the author generously inserted her liberal economics views throughout the book. As if all those who will enjoy this book will fit into the one-dimensional mold of being very liberal on every single issue! Annoying as this was, it did not ruin an otherwise fantastic but chilling book."

"The organized push from Evangelicals to dissolve the separation between church and state is current...

"In this excellent, fascinating, and frightening book, Michelle Goldberg brings up the well-known fact that abstinence-only sex education programs for teenagers don't work. But an abstinence-only educator emphatically insisted that it doesn't matter that these programs don't work. What matters, she said, is that these programs tell "the TRUTH" that sex outside of marriage is "a SIN." Apparently, most abstinence-only programs are less concerned with preventing pregnancy and disease than with pushing a religious ideology.

I can't tell you how many times I raised my eyebrows over what I read in this book, nor how many times I had to put the book down in order to digest what I'd just read. Some of what Goldberg writes seems incomprehensible, yet she thoroughly documents all of it.

The Reverend Moon's tremendous clout with the D.C. establishment and the religious right came as quite a surprise to me. I always dismissed him as a crackpot, but no more.

Goldberg's book is about a parallel reality that is alive, well, and growing in the U.S. today--thanks to generous subsidies from the Bush administration and an unquestioning, incurious press. Goldberg is to be commended for providing much-needed insight into this subculture, which is making alarming progress towards the mainstream. This book is also a whole lot scarier than anything by Steven King--because it's true. With all due respect to King, even he couldn't make this stuff up."

"In this excellent, fascinating, and frightening book, Michelle Goldberg brings up the well-known fa...

"If you have ever wondered what really drives Christian Nationalist, Right Wing Conservative, political-social prowess, READ THIS BOOK! The Christian Right is a real threat to the foundations of American civil liberties and human rights in general. I found Kingdom Coming to be well researched and eloquently written. The facts laid out in the book constantly build upon one another weaving a movie-like diabolical plot masterminded by the conservative religious leaders and their political allies. Read this book, get all the facts and decide for yourself. Either way, open your eyes to what really underlies the tie betweeb religion and politics in America. "

"If you have ever wondered what really drives Christian Nationalist, Right Wing Conservative, politi...