Preparing for War by Bradley Onishi
Review by Dave Gamrath
In his book Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism--and What Comes Next, author Bradley Onishi provides a robust history of the rise of the New Religious Right and White Christian nationalism, and asks important questions regarding the future of democracy in America.
Book Review:
Bradley Onishi is a professor at the University of San Francisco and cohost of the Straight White American Jesus podcast. Onishi is also a former White Christian nationalist. Onishi begins his book Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism--and What Comes Next explaining how at age 14 he joined a large evangelical church in Orange County, CA, and soon became a passionate youth leader. For eleven years, evangelizing the gospel was his top priority. However, while studying theology at Oxford, Onishi concluded that many of his church's teachings were myths and redirected his life toward challenging these myths, including with this book.
Onishi’s book explores three questions. The first is “How did the rise of the New Religious Right between 1960 and 2015 give birth to violent White Christian nationalism during the Trump presidency and beyond?” To answer this, Onishi provides a detailed history of this movement over the past decades. He explains that the New Right was a “conservative political action, birthed in the 1960s, ready to use any means necessary to stop the cultural revolutions and return the country to the hands of White, landowning men.” The 1960s dramatically changed American society, including antiwar protests, new equality movements, increased sex education, abortion rights, an expanded social safety net, and more.
Onishi tells the story of Barry Goldwater, the “cowboy senator,” who was the 1964 Republican nominee for President and led Christian conservative opposition to these societal changes. He also tells the story of the John Birch Society, which rose during this timeframe and was “marked by a fierce libertarianism and vehement stance against taxes, government welfare programs, and civil rights reforms.” Importantly, Goldwater and Birch also advocated the strategy of “all-out warfare” against their opponents, labeling them as enemies of God and the United States. Considered extreme at the time, their tactics “became the blueprint for Republican success in the late twentieth century and beyond.”
Onishi’s history continues through the 1970s, explaining how Paul Weyrich masterminded a new conservative grassroots organizing machine, including leading the launch of the Heritage Foundation, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the NRA, and the Family Research Council, intending to “overthrow the federal government and turn American culture on its head.” Weyrich needed voters and found them in White evangelicals, whom he won over by preaching that “segregation is a religious right.” Onishi writes that “racism, not abortion, was the central factor that motivated White evangelical Christians to get involved in American politics in the twentieth century.” In 1979, the Religious Right formed as an explicitly political coalition of evangelicals and Catholics set on ending progressive policies.
Onishi explains how Jimmy Carter, although a devout evangelical Christian, was condemned for championing too many social justice issues, such as civil rights, and was dumped in favor of a questionable Christian, Ronald Reagan. The New Right merged with the Religious Right to form the New Religious Right, with the primary goal to “take the country back for God.” Onishi writes that Reagan was the “culmination of Goldwater’s extremism.”
The second question Onishi explores is “What aspects of the White Christian nationalist worldview – the worldview I once held – propelled some of the most conservative religious communities in the country to ignite a cold civil war?” Onishi defines Christian nationalism as “an ideology that sees the United States as a nation built for and by Christians. White Christian nationalism adds a racial layer to the mix by claiming that White Christians deserve to be at the top of the racial, economic, and political hierarchies,” and deserve to be society’s decision makers. White Christian nationalism is far more extreme than White evangelicalism and is “less about Christian beliefs and doctrines and more about ‘historical identity, cultural preeminence, and political influence.’” Onishi explains how “Christian nationalism has three foundational components: the myth of a Christian nation, nostalgia for past glory, and an apocalyptic view of the nation’s future.” Apocalyptic thinking quickly leads to demonizing your opponents. Joe Biden is evil and must be defeated, or we will forever lose our country. This movement includes many Catholics, Mormons, and even some Jews. Its goal “is to return to a state wherein straight, White, native-born Christian men take their rightful places of authority and leadership.”
White Christian nationalists believe that leaders need to be tough guys. Onishi explains how, remarkably, Trump “was the prototype of the candidate White Christians had been searching for since the early 1960s.” What about all of Trump’s ungodly behavior? “It takes an impure man to purify the nation.” Trump’s “sexuality proves his masculinity, and thus his claim to authority” and is seen as a virtue for a leader tasked with protecting the nation. They see Trump as clearly being charged by God to carry out God’s mission on earth. Trump’s not afraid to squash civil liberties and human rights, which are necessary steps to effect purity within American society. “‘Make America great again’ is code for ‘make America White and Christian again.’”
These beliefs explain why the New Religious Right view Vladimir Putin as “the model global leader.” Putin is a tough guy, and as such, rightly “doesn’t abide by democratic institutions and processes.” Putin acts with absolute authority and is not shy about using violence when needed. “Russia is a model for the type of ‘pure’ nation that White Christian nationalists want.” Democracy stands in the way of America achieving a similar pure nation.
The third question Onishi explores is, “How can understanding the history of White Christian nationalism help us anticipate how it will take shape in and influence the public square in years to come?” Onishi’s research and analysis conclude that many MAGA members are preparing for the next civil war and that January 6 was just the first battle. Onishi writes that “the question is not if there will be another attack on our democracy. The question is when.” The MAGA movement will continue long after Donald Trump.
Onishi closes with “one side has been readying for conflict for sixty years. It’s time for the rest of us to admit that the normal ebbs and flows of American politics have been usurped by the forward march of MAGA Nation. What lies ahead is not a contest for electoral majorities or policy initiatives. It’s a test of democracy’s resilience in the face of an apocalyptic threat.” This begs additional questions. Will the rest of America step up to turn back this imminent threat? Will non-MAGA Americans let go of differences and work together to protect America’s progressive policies enacted since FDR? Finally, is democracy really worth fighting for? These questions shall soon be answered.
Reviewer Opinion: well written and very insightful.
Reviewer Rating of Book: thumb up