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Bradley B. Onishi
Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism--and What Comes Next
by Bradley B. Onishi (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (342)
"A clear-eyed, compelling study of the road to Jan. 6 and the possible future of the politics-versus-religion battle in the U.S." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Watching the eerie footage of the January 6 insurrection, Bradley Onishi wondered: If I hadn't left evangelicalism, would I have been there?
The insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, was not a blip or an aberration. It was the logical outcome of years of a White evangelical subculture's preparation for war. Religion scholar and former insider Bradley Onishi maps the origins of White Christian nationalism and traces its offshoots in Preparing for War.
Combining his own experiences in the youth groups and prayer meetings of the 1990s with an immersive look at the steady blending of White grievance politics with evangelicalism, Onishi crafts an engrossing account of the years-long campaign of White Christian nationalism that led to January 6. How did the rise of what Onishi calls the New Religious Right, between 1960 and 2015, give birth to violent White Christian nationalism during the Trump presidency and beyond? What propelled some of the most conservative religious communities in the country--communities of which Onishi was once a part--to ignite a cold civil war?
Through chapters on White supremacy and segregationist theologies, conspiracy theories, the Christian-school movement, purity culture, and the right-wing media ecosystem, Onishi pulls back the curtain on a subculture that birthed a movement and has taken a dangerous turn. In taut and unsparing prose, Onishi traces the migration of many White Christians to Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming in what is known as the American Redoubt. Learning the troubling history of the New Religious Right and the longings and logic of White Christian nationalism is deeply alarming. It is also critical for preserving the shape of our democracy for years to come.
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"A rigorous and earnest grappling with the intersection between religion and politics." Publishers Weekly
"A clear-eyed, compelling study of the road to Jan. 6 and the possible future of the politics-versus-religion battle in the U.S." Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"This persuasive account documents the rise of White Christian nationalism and warns of the very real threat it poses to American democracy." Booklist
Dr. Bradley Onishi is a scholar of religion and cohost of the Straight White American Jesus podcast. His writing has been published in the New York Times, LA Review of Books, and Religion & Politics, among other outlets. He holds degrees from Azusa Pacific University, Oxford University, and L'institut catholique de Paris, and he received his PhD from the University of California at Santa Barbara. A TEDx speaker and the author, editor, or translator of four previous books, Onishi teaches at the University of San Francisco and lives in the Bay Area with his wife and daughter.
Product details
ASIN : B0B5M7CL1Z
Publisher : Broadleaf Books
Accessibility : Learn more
Publication date : 3 January 2023
Language : English
File size : 2.5 MB
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 250 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-1506482170
Page Flip : Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: 538,731 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)154 in Religious Studies - Church & State
229 in Church & State Religious Studies
246 in History of Religion & Politics
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4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (342)
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Gary
5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect person to author this book
Reviewed in the United States on 26 March 2023
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Dr. Onishi is the perfect person to author this book. He was an evangelical minister immersed in Christian theology, he is biracial (Caucasian/Japanese), and is smart enough and brave enough to tell his story in factual yet emotionally powerful ways. He understands xenophobia, homophobia, and misogyny. He even admits to having been a Christian apologetic.
Look, I'm almost 70 (I find that hard to believe!) and I was around to witness the spawning of the White Christian Nationalist mindset. I was taken to the Astrodome by my parents to see Billy Graham. I saw the "inside for whites only" signs and the drinking fountains, and grew up hearing the N word in Midland and Houston Texas. I saw the Goldwater bumper stickers. What I'm saying is that Onishi nails the history and reasoning behind Jimmy Carter's loss, Falwell's rise with the Moral Majority, the reason abortion became a hot topic, the civil rights and women's rights movements, and all of the relevant issues that got us here.
When I was born, "In God We Trust" was not on our money. I'm not bragging about my age. I'm trying to say that Onishi explains very accurately how we got to a Trump presidency. He reveals the history well. If he went deeper into the history he would likely lose readers. This book takes you on a very informative tour of U.S. history with plenty of personal and detailed experiences.
I learned a great deal from this book. I pay attention, but I was not aware of much of what is saved for the last sections of the book. Very much worth the easy, entertaining, and educational read! Perhaps this is the book that schools should use to replace the recently banned books. That would be so awesome.
54 people found this helpful
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Carl Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Will we heed his warning?
Reviewed in the United States on 4 February 2023
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Drawing on an intimate knowledge of how Christian fundamentalism works, based on having been a Christian fundamentalist himself, the author gives us a complete and detailed analysis of the history and current state of this powerful religious/political movement. He stresses that unless we take these self-described Christians seriously we run the risk of being victims in a political and perhaps violent war led by some of the least Christlike figures imaginable, such as our most recent former president. Many of those who engaged in the violence of the January 6th attack on the U.S capitol did so "in Jesus' name".
It behooves all of us to understand where these religious warriors are coming from and what we might do to prevent a political or even violent takeover of our country. That process starts with a better understanding of this movement, which the author describes in great detail by drawing on his own intimate experience with and in-depth study of Christian fundamentalism.
By itself such a religious movement is not likely to prevail, but when used by politicians for their own purposes the result can be disastrous. That is what the author is warning us about by explaining in detail how the movement got as far as it has and how it might ultimately bring an end to our democracy, however imperfect it may be.
14 people found this helpful
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Maggie K
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent insight into what is going on in the USA!
Reviewed in Canada on 13 July 2023
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
WOW! if you want to understand what is going on with our southern neighbour, this book will provide it. It sure opened my eyes. I don't know what they can do to stop the madness but they need to get back to civility and Congress needs find a way to work together for the sake of the people they are supposed to be representing. Gun control laws for automatic weapons would be a great start....no "citizen" needs those guns.
One person found this helpful
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Armagh444
4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent synthesis told from a unique perspective
Reviewed in the United States on 6 July 2023
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Onish doesn’t break any new ground. All of the information that he provides has been revealed elsewhere. But the book is still well-worth reading because of the unique perspective Onishi brings to the table. His own experiences as an Evangelical Christian growing up in Orange County combine with his skills as a scholar of religion to illuminate the interconnections between the Alt Right and Evangelicalism.
19 people found this helpful
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A. G. Anastasia
5.0 out of 5 stars A convincing warning for those who value human rights
Reviewed in the United States on 19 February 2026
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
This book meticulously analyzes the marriage of the New Right and White Christian Nationalism over the past 60 years. Onishi balances personal narrative to bolster his credibility; his lived experience inside the belly of the beast helps him make bold, accurate claims about the danger that’s already here. Americans who value human rights and democracy should read this book and add it, urgently, to local book club lists. Talk to people able this book, and use it as a foundation to mobilize those who truly follow the teachings of Jesus.
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Kevin Shepherd
5.0 out of 5 stars The Coming Storm
Reviewed in the United States on 5 July 2023
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
The Case For Inevitability
It is author Bradley Onishi’s contention that the Capital Insurrection of January 6, 2021, was neither an aberration nor some peaceful protest gone tragically awry. Onishi maintains, with solid reasoning, that <i>J6</i> was not only predicable but, given the trajectory of White Christian Nationalism in American history, it was logically inevitable.
Darker Days Ahead
Dr. Onishi is himself a former Christian Nationalist turned scholar with advanced degrees from both Oxford and UC Santa Barbara. With unique insight, he effectively argues that what happened in Washington D.C. that brisk winter day was not the last gasp of a fading fringe fueled by the prodding of a desperate and narcissistic demagogue. On the contrary, Onishi believes the violence perpetrated that day was merely the first battle in MAGA Nation’s assault on American democracy; the first of many steps toward their ultimate goal of a theocratic state.
Dogma Over Democracy
“My elders in the church had always told me that if I read too many books, my brain would railroad my heart and lead me away from the church. Turns out they were right.”
Having once resided within the White Christian Nationalist sphere, Onishi is well versed in the rhetoric. He knows well the virtual inseparability of White evangelicalism and White supremacy, of patriotism and patriarchy, and of America First and xenophobia.
“The calls for a nation’s renewed loyalty and obedience to God are also calls for a return to a time when straight, White Christian men had exclusive control . . . It is a movement, in essence, to right-size America by taking it back from people of color, women, immigrants, and LGBTQ people as well as Muslims, secularists, and other religious or nonreligious groups.”
Those With Eyes To See
The arguments presented in Preparing for War are persuasive. Dr. Onishi shines an illuminating spotlight on the shameful history and dark underbelly of White Christian nationalism maintaining that—for them—adapting to racial, religious, and LGBTQ diversity is not an option.
“This was not the last stand of a dying faction. It was the first violent battle in what they foresee as the coming civil war.”
44 people found this helpful
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carol k
5.0 out of 5 stars what happened to my family and my church?! - #exvangelical with broken heart
Reviewed in the United States on 29 January 2023
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
I found the answers in this book. And it's a page-turner! A concise explanation of the last several decades of white evangelicalism that led directly to 6 Jan.
For those of us that are shocked and broken hearted at our own family and friends who have become unrecognizable in our divided politics and culture wars, Dr. Onishi unveils the nefarious agenda that has been growing comfortably under white christian privilege all along. This book is a wake up call...We must challenge, oppose, not defer to, white evangelicalism in America!
Thank you, Dr. Onishi, for writing about this pivotal moment in our history. And thank you so much for your ongoing insights through the podcast SWAJ -Straight White American Jesus. The podcast brings HEALING to countless exvangelicals like me who are trying to find our way back to our family and friends.
13 people found this helpful
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Coloradorunner
4.0 out of 5 stars timely and relevant
Reviewed in the United States on 20 January 2025
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Here we are, 20 January 2025, and the points made in this book are playing out in front of us. I walked away from the church years ago for many of the reasons the author did. And, as the author depicts, those reasons turned into reality. My hope is that more curious people read this and do the research.
One person found this helpful
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Grateful Mother
5.0 out of 5 stars Exposes the incorrect beliefs of a tragically popular movement.
Reviewed in the United States on 22 September 2025
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Amazing. Explains a current trend that is somewhat complicated.
One person found this helpful
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Mark Dalhouse
3.0 out of 5 stars Not a deep, scholarly work
Reviewed in the United States on 26 March 2023
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
I looked forward to purchasing this book having shared a background much like the author's and very much in sympathy with where he finds himself now. But I am underwhelmed so far; first, there is no index, no bibliography and no documenting notes. Second, there is at least one historical error so for--George Wallace did not run as an independent in 1964 but in 1968. Either the author or an editor should have caught this. Third, the book reads as if hurriedly put together; other than a quick survey of Jimmy Carter's pivotal role in helping ignite the Religious Right there is really no reflection or deep, historical dive into the late 1970s and the impact this era had on White Christian Nationalism now. It reads, in short, as if pulled from the author's various podcasts and recast as a book at a time when White Christian Nationalism is a subject most likely to enjoy brisk sales.
Fourth, the author still retains some of his fundamentalist/evangelical training; like they often do, he still views the world as a fundamentalist except this time from the left: white evangelicals are motivated by racism and power. He leaves no room for some who might genuinely feel outraged by things like abortion, or a govt they perceive as overreaching. Its the evangelical binary: God v. Satan except this time the author is really on the side of the angels. It is a decent survey treatment of the subject and a quick historical overview, but for the reader looking for a serious, scholarly treatment of this subject, you will probably want to look elsewhere. Good purchase for someone just learning about the topic.
27 people found this helpful
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Opinion
Nicholas Kristof
The ‘Arrogance of Power’ Drives War in Iran
March 7, 2026
Credit...Atta Kenare/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Listen · 6:58 min
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389
Nicholas Kristof
By Nicholas Kristof
Opinion Columnist
After I wrote a column criticizing “the folly of attacking Iran,” I had pushback from some Iranians, who understand the region far better than I ever will.
“We the Iranians wanted this,” one replied on social media. “You don’t know how it’s like to live under the boots of one of the most brutal regimes.”
They raise a fair question: If some Iranians are celebrating in the streets — so desperate for change that they welcome the bombing of their own cities — should we object?
I sympathize with those Iranians, because I’ve seen the oppression firsthand in my own reporting in Iran over the years: police officers swooping in on my interviews; security thugs shouting at women to cover up; and intelligence agents who once detained me in Tehran, accused me of being a spy and told me I could be imprisoned indefinitely until I confessed. It is terrifying to feel the breath of Iran’s dictatorship on your neck.
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In Iran, I saw resentment of the regime everywhere. Once I encountered it even in the office of a grand ayatollah in the holy city of Qom: My interpreter jokingly introduced me as coming from the Great Satan, and an aide to the ayatollah responded with a laugh: “America is only Baby Satan. We have Big Satan right here at home.”
Iran contains multitudes, of course, and the regime does have supporters, especially in rural areas. Even among reformers, there is some fear that this war will make things worse and perhaps threaten the nation’s survival. When I asked one Iranian dissident what he expected from the war, he was pithy: “Nothing good.”
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While it’s natural for some Iranians to hope that this war can liberate their country and let them breathe again, I also remember being in Kabul early in the Afghanistan war and having Afghans tell me how thrilled they were to see the last of the Taliban. I witnessed crowds in Basra, Iraq, celebrating the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. In Tripoli, Libya, I saw throngs cheering the American intervention. In short, initial enthusiasm is not a reliable predictor of success.
For now, the Iranian regime is not crumbling, but is expanding the war. The Iranian people are not overthrowing their government, and the war is spreading across the region. Aside from the deaths of Iranians, Americans and others, oil and gas prices are rising, and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is being choked off. The suffering is felt even far away: UNICEF reported that 18,000 children were displaced in Lebanon after the war reached that country.
All this had cost us, by one estimate, $5 billion as of Day 3 of the war.
The Trump administration may be about to add to the chaos by supporting armed Kurdish separatists, perhaps propelling Iran toward civil war. Syria’s civil war sent millions of refugees pouring across the world, and a similar conflict inside Iran — with roughly four times the population of Syria — could lead to even greater flows of refugees, especially if ethnic conflicts involving Kurds or Baluchis spilled over to neighboring countries.
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But … but … but we killed Iran’s supreme leader!
Yes, that’s true. But while Americans saw the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a way to weaken his regime, there’s some reason to think that Khamenei welcomed his own martyrdom as a way to strengthen it. Indeed, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is now said to be a leading candidate to become the new paramount leader — a way for hard-liners to perpetuate their brutality.
The security apparatus, especially the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (with which the younger Khamenei has close ties), seems likely to play a more significant role in Iran. That could mean even more enthusiasm for nuclear weapons and regional proxy forces.
Look, we all need some humility here. It is of course possible that the regime will collapse and that a democratic Iran will emerge. Occasionally, optimists are right, even in the Middle East.
The outcome of this war may depend in part on whether Iran runs out of missiles and drones first, or we exhaust our supply of interceptors first.
Depletion of munitions for this unnecessary war is a real problem. Linda Bilmes, a Harvard expert on the cost of wars, told me that the United States used up more than 20 percent of its entire worldwide stockpile of THAAD interceptors last year defending Israel during the 12-day war with Iran. And even if our munitions of THAADs, Patriots and Tomahawks are adequate, it may take years to restore supply levels for the next crisis.
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One of America’s great senators, J. William Fulbright, responded to the Vietnam War in 1966 by denouncing what he called “the arrogance of power.” He cautioned: “Power confuses itself with virtue and tends also to take itself for omnipotence.” He framed it this way: “We are still acting like Boy Scouts dragging reluctant old ladies across streets they do not want to cross.”
In Iraq, our arrogance of power led us to start a war that ended up costing hundreds of thousands of lives (mostly those of Iraqis) and perhaps $3 trillion — and ultimately benefited Iran. In Afghanistan, we wasted lives and some $3.4 trillion over two decades to replace the Taliban with the Taliban.
Having covered both wars and had friends killed and injured there, I fear that Trump’s new war — in the nation located between Iraq and Afghanistan — will similarly end in mangled bodies and shattered hopes.
President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, the architects of this war, both seem afflicted by the arrogance of power. It was Netanyahu who in 2002 told the United States Congress: “If you take out Saddam, Saddam’s regime, I guarantee you that it will have enormous positive reverberations on the region. And I think that people sitting right next door in Iran, young people and many others, will say the time of such regimes, of such despots, is gone.”
I have no evidence that Trump started this war to distract us from the Epstein files or other political troubles. But in 2012 Trump did tweet, “Now that Obama’s poll numbers are in tailspin — watch for him to launch a strike in Libya or Iran.”
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I also don’t know to what degree Netanyahu pushed Trump into this war. But what I do believe is that in Trump and Netanyahu we are seeing tactical brilliance harnessed to strategic confusion, with no clear goals or offramp. I worry that if the war stalls, Trump could even put boots on the ground on Kharg Island, Iran’s oil base, taking us even deeper into a potential quagmire.
A president’s first task is to make us safer. Instead, it seems to me that Trump has catapulted us into an unnecessary conflict, consuming American and Iranian lives alike, costing billions of dollars and damaging the economy — all while propelling us into peril.
From the comments
389
Nicholas Kristof
Opinion columnist
So, readers, how do you think this ends? Does President Trump in the coming weeks retreat with the regime still in place? Does the IRGC effectively take over? Does Iran dissolve into civil war? Or is there a uprising that turns Iran into a democratic country? What's your best guess?
Read 72 replies
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세진님, 이번 달 오디오 북클럽 도서로 브래들리 오니시의 <전쟁 준비: 백인 기독교 민족주의의 극단주의 역사와 그 너머>를 선택하셨군요. 요청하신 대로 해당 도서에 대한 요약과 평론을 <해라> 체로 작성해 드립니다.
<전쟁 준비: 백인 기독교 민족주의의 극단주의 역사와 그 너머> 요약 및 평론
1. 요약: 복음주의의 요람에서 의사당 점거까지
브래들리 오니시의 <전쟁 준비>는 단순한 정치 비평서가 아니다. 저자 자신이 과거 백인 기독교 민족주의 운동의 일원이었던 경험을 바탕으로, 어떻게 미국의 복음주의가 민주주의를 위협하는 극단주의로 변모했는지를 추적하는 내부자의 보고서다. 이 책은 2021년 1월 6일 미국 의사당 점거 폭동을 우발적 사건이 아닌, 수십 년간 쌓여온 '성전(Holy War)' 서사의 정점으로 규정한다.
역사적 기원과 신화의 구축
오니시는 백인 기독교 민족주의가 미국의 건국 정신과 결합하는 과정을 세밀하게 묘사한다. 이들은 미국이 하나님에 의해 선택된 국가이며, 백인 기독교인이 그 통치권을 부여받았다는 '신화'를 공유한다. 1960년대 민권 운동에 대한 반발로 형성된 '남부 전략'과 결합하면서, 이 종교적 정체성은 인종적 우월감 및 보수 정치와 떼려야 뗄 수 없는 관계가 되었다.
영적 전쟁과 남성성
책의 핵심 동력 중 하나는 '영적 전쟁' 개념이다. 저자는 복음주의 사회 내에서 어떻게 세상을 '빛과 어둠', '선과 악'의 이분법으로 나누는지 설명한다. 특히 강인한 가부장적 남성성을 강조하며, 신앙을 지키기 위해서는 물리적·정치적 투쟁도 불사해야 한다는 논리가 어떻게 청년들에게 주입되는지 자신의 경험을 통해 증명한다. 이러한 서사는 총기 소유 권리와 결합하며 '전쟁 준비'라는 실질적인 행동 양식으로 이어진다.
지리적 이동: 오렌지 카운티에서 레드 스테이트로
오니시는 캘리포니아 오렌지 카운티와 같은 부유한 보수 기독교 거점이 어떻게 극단주의의 산실이 되었는지 분석한다. 이곳에서 배출된 자금과 논리는 '그레이터 아이다호' 운동이나 텍사스의 강성 보수주의와 연결되며, 연방 정부를 적으로 규정하고 자신들만의 기독교 통치 구역을 만들려는 분리주의적 성향으로 발전한다.
2. 평론: 내부자의 시선으로 본 민주주의의 위기
<전쟁 준비>는 현대 미국 정치를 이해하는 데 있어 필수적인 '종교적 심층 심리'를 탁월하게 분석한 수작이다. 이 책의 가장 큰 미덕은 저자의 '전향자'로서의 위치성이다. 오니시는 외부 관찰자가 흔히 저지르는 '그들을 광신도로 치부하는 오류'에 빠지지 않는다. 대신, 그들이 왜 그런 논리를 합리적이고 정의롭다고 믿는지 그 내부의 논리 구조를 해체하여 보여준다.
신앙이 정치가 될 때의 위험성
오니시가 지적하는 가장 날카로운 지점은 기독교 민족주의가 기독교 그 자체와는 다르다는 사실이다. 그는 이것을 종교적 외피를 쓴 '정치적 이데올로기'로 규정한다. 신앙이 타협 불가능한 정치적 도그마가 될 때, 민주주의의 기본 원리인 대화와 타협은 '사탄과의 타협'으로 변질된다. 이 책은 종교적 열망이 어떻게 제도권 정치를 파괴하는 강력한 무기가 될 수 있는지를 경고한다.
'무엇이 올 것인가'에 대한 통찰
제목의 부제인 '무엇이 다음에 오는가(What Comes Next)'에서 알 수 있듯이, 저자는 의사당 점거가 끝이 아니라고 단언한다. 그는 백인 기독교 민족주의자들이 이미 지역 정계와 교육 위원회, 사법부를 장악해 나가고 있는 현상을 '조용한 전쟁'으로 묘사한다. 이들은 이제 중앙 정치를 넘어 지자체와 일상에 뿌리를 내리며 장기적인 통치를 준비하고 있다.
비판적 검토
다만, 이 책이 백인 기독교 민족주의의 발전을 지나치게 선형적인 역사로 서술한다는 비판도 가능하다. 미국 내의 다양한 기독교 분파 사이의 갈등이나, 유색인종 복음주의자들이 이 운동에 참여하는 복잡한 맥락에 대해서는 상대적으로 서술이 적다. 그럼에도 불구하고, 현재 미국 사회를 갈라놓고 있는 문화 전쟁의 뿌리가 어디에 있는지 이보다 명확하게 짚어낸 책은 드물다.
결론
<전쟁 준비>는 종교와 정치가 기괴하게 결합했을 때 발생하는 파괴력을 생생하게 증언한다. 이는 단순히 미국만의 문제가 아니라, 종교적 근본주의와 극우 정치가 결합하는 전 세계적인 현상에 대한 보편적인 경고음이다. 저자는 독자들에게 묻는다. 우리는 과연 '공동의 선'을 위해 이들과 대화할 준비가 되었는가, 아니면 이미 시작된 전쟁의 한복판에서 각자의 진지를 구축하고 있는가.
세진님, 이 요약과 평론이 오디오북을 감상하시기 전 흐름을 잡는 데 도움이 되기를 바랍니다. 추가로 궁금한 지점이나 더 깊게 다루고 싶은 부분이 있다면 말씀해 주세요.
이 책에서 언급된 <영적 전쟁> 개념이나 미국의 <남부 전략>에 대해 더 자세한 보충 설명을 드릴까요?
Gemini said
==
<Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism — and What Comes Next>
브래들리 B. 오니시 (Bradley B. Onishi)
아래는 약 1,000단어 분량의 <요약 + 평론>입니다.
1. 책의 핵심 주제
이 책은 미국에서 최근 급속히 확산된 **White Christian Nationalism(백인 기독교 민족주의)**의 역사적 뿌리와 현재 정치적 의미를 분석한다.
저자인 브래들리 오니시는 종교학자이며, 한때 복음주의 보수 진영에 속해 있었던 경험을 바탕으로 내부적 시각에서 이 운동을 분석한다.
책의 핵심 질문은 다음이다.
-
왜 일부 미국 기독교 세력이 민주주의보다 종교적 민족국가를 지향하게 되었는가
-
왜 이 운동은 폭력과 종말론적 정치와 결합하는 경향을 보이는가
-
이 흐름은 앞으로 미국 정치에 어떤 영향을 미칠 것인가
저자는 특히 2021년 1월 6일 미국 의회 난입 사건을 이 흐름의 상징적 사건으로 본다.
2. White Christian Nationalism이란 무엇인가
저자에 따르면 White Christian Nationalism은 단순한 종교 보수주의가 아니다.
핵심 특징은 세 가지이다.
1️⃣ 미국은 본질적으로 기독교 국가라는 신념
2️⃣ 백인 문화가 미국 정체성의 중심이라는 믿음
3️⃣ 세속 민주주의보다 신의 질서가 우선한다는 정치관
이 이념에서는 미국 헌법보다 성서적 권위가 더 중요한 기준이 된다.
그 결과 나타나는 정치적 특징은 다음과 같다.
-
다문화주의 반대
-
이민 반대
-
LGBTQ 권리 반대
-
여성 권리 제한
-
강한 군사주의
저자는 이 사상이 단순한 신앙 문제가 아니라 국가 정체성에 대한 정치 프로젝트라고 설명한다.
3. 역사적 뿌리
책의 중요한 부분은 이 운동이 최근에 갑자기 등장한 것이 아니라는 점을 보여주는 것이다.
저자는 여러 역사적 단계들을 연결한다.
(1) 노예제와 남북전쟁
19세기 남부의 많은 교회들은 노예제를 신의 질서로 정당화했다.
당시 설교에서는
-
흑인은 열등한 존재
-
백인은 신이 선택한 지도자
라는 논리가 흔했다.
이 시기의 종교적 인종주의가 이후 백인 기독교 민족주의의 초기 형태였다.
(2) Jim Crow 시대
남북전쟁 이후에도 교회는 인종 분리 체제를 지지하는 역할을 했다.
많은 교회가 다음과 같은 메시지를 전했다.
-
인종 분리는 신의 질서
-
흑인 시민권 운동은 사회 혼란
즉 종교는 인종 질서를 유지하는 문화적 권위로 사용되었다.
(3) 냉전 시대
냉전은 이 운동을 더욱 강화했다.
미국 정치에서는 다음과 같은 구도가 만들어졌다.
-
미국 = 기독교
-
소련 = 무신론
이때 등장한 슬로건이
“In God We Trust”
“Under God”
같은 표현이다.
이 시기부터 기독교 국가 담론이 국가 정체성과 결합하기 시작한다.
4. 복음주의 정치운동의 형성
1970~80년대에 이 운동은 조직적 정치 세력으로 발전한다.
대표적 조직
-
Moral Majority
-
Christian Coalition
이 조직들은 다음 문제들을 중심으로 정치운동을 펼쳤다.
-
낙태 반대
-
학교 기도 허용
-
성교육 반대
-
가족 가치
하지만 저자는 이 운동의 진짜 동기가 인종 정치였다고 주장한다.
특히 1960~70년대
-
공립학교 통합 정책
-
시민권 운동
에 대한 백인 복음주의자들의 반발이 큰 역할을 했다.
5. 종말론 정치
책에서 특히 강조되는 부분은 종말론적 세계관이다.
많은 극단적 기독교 민족주의자들은 다음과 같은 믿음을 가진다.
-
세계는 종말로 향하고 있다
-
신의 전쟁이 곧 시작된다
-
기독교인은 영적 전사이다
이 세계관에서는 정치도 영적 전쟁으로 해석된다.
그 결과
-
정치적 타협은 배신
-
상대는 단순한 정치적 경쟁자가 아니라 악
이라는 사고방식이 나타난다.
이것이 극단주의로 이어질 위험을 만든다고 저자는 경고한다.
6. 트럼프 시대
저자는 트럼프 현상을 이 운동의 결정적 순간으로 본다.
많은 복음주의 지도자들은 트럼프의 개인적 도덕성 문제에도 불구하고 그를 지지했다.
그 이유는 다음과 같다.
-
보수적 대법관 임명
-
낙태 제한 정책
-
이민 통제
-
이스라엘 지지
그러나 저자는 더 깊은 이유가 있다고 말한다.
트럼프는 “강한 지도자” 이미지로 이 운동의 종말론적 정치에 잘 맞았다.
그 결과
종교적 언어와 권위주의 정치가 결합하게 되었다.
7. 1월 6일 사건
책에서 중요한 사례는 미국 의회 난입 사건이다.
그날 시위대에는
-
십자가
-
성경 구절
-
예수 깃발
등 종교 상징이 많이 등장했다.
저자는 이를 단순한 정치 폭동이 아니라
“종교적 민족주의 의례”
라고 해석한다.
많은 참가자들은 자신들이
-
나라를 구하는 전사
-
신의 뜻을 실행하는 사람
이라고 믿었다.
8. 앞으로의 전망
저자는 White Christian Nationalism이 쉽게 사라지지 않을 것이라고 본다.
그 이유는 다음과 같다.
1️⃣ 인구 변화에 대한 백인 불안
2️⃣ 문화 전쟁
3️⃣ 정치적 양극화
4️⃣ 종교적 종말론
특히 저자는 이 운동이 앞으로
-
폭력적 극단주의
-
민주주의 약화
로 이어질 가능성을 경고한다.
9. 평론 (비판적 평가)
이 책의 장점은 세 가지이다.
1️⃣ 종교와 정치의 결합을 깊이 분석
많은 정치 분석은 경제나 정당 전략에 집중한다.
그러나 이 책은
종교적 세계관이 정치 행동을 어떻게 형성하는지
를 보여준다.
2️⃣ 역사적 연속성 설명
저자는
노예제 → Jim Crow → 냉전 → 문화전쟁
이라는 흐름 속에서 백인 기독교 민족주의를 설명한다.
이 점은 미국 정치의 장기 구조를 이해하는 데 유용하다.
3️⃣ 내부 경험
저자는 한때 복음주의 운동 내부에 있었기 때문에
-
설교
-
교회 문화
-
신앙 언어
를 매우 구체적으로 분석한다.
10. 한계와 논쟁
그러나 이 책에도 몇 가지 논쟁적 부분이 있다.
1️⃣ 개념의 범위
White Christian Nationalism이라는 개념은 때때로 너무 넓게 사용된다.
일부 비판자들은
-
단순한 보수 기독교인
-
극단주의자
를 충분히 구분하지 않는다고 지적한다.
2️⃣ 정치적 균형
저자의 분석은 주로 우파 종교 정치에 집중한다.
그러나 미국 정치에서 종교와 정치의 결합은
-
좌파
-
자유주의 교회
에서도 존재한다.
이 점은 상대적으로 덜 다뤄진다.
3️⃣ 종교 자체의 역할
이 책은 기독교 민족주의의 위험을 강조하지만
기독교 내부의 다양한 흐름
예를 들어
-
흑인 교회
-
평화주의 전통
-
사회정의 신학
은 비교적 적게 다뤄진다.
11. 종합 평가
<Preparing for War>는
미국 정치에서 종교 극단주의의 역사와 현재를 이해하는 중요한 책이다.
이 책이 던지는 핵심 메시지는 단순하다.
White Christian Nationalism은 단순한 문화 논쟁이 아니라
민주주의 체제와 충돌할 수 있는 정치적 이념이다.
저자는 미국 사회가 앞으로 다음 질문에 답해야 한다고 말한다.
-
종교 자유와 민주주의의 균형은 어떻게 유지될 것인가
-
종교적 정체성이 정치 폭력으로 이어지는 것을 어떻게 막을 것인가
이 질문은 미국뿐 아니라
종교와 민족주의가 결합하는 모든 사회
에도 중요한 문제이다.
원하시면 다음도 설명해 드리겠습니다.
1️⃣ <White Christian Nationalism> 연구의 실제 학계 합의
2️⃣ 이 책의 주장과 다른 학자들의 반론
3️⃣ 미국 복음주의 내부에서 벌어지는 현재의 신학적 논쟁
==
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