Wild Faith

Esquire Best Nonfiction Books of 2024

The acclaimed author of Culture Warlords investigates the rise of the Christian Right over the last half-century that lays out the grim vision evangelicals are enforcing on our democracy.

All across America, a storm is gathering: from book bans in school libraries to anti-trans laws in state legislatures; firebombings of abortion clinics and protests against gay rights. The Christian Right, a cunning political force in America for more than half a century, has never been more powerful than it is right now—it propelled Donald Trump to power, and it won’t stop until it’s refashioned America in its own image.

In Wild Faith, critically acclaimed author Talia Lavin goes deep into what motivates the Christian Right, from its segregationist past to a future riddled with apocalyptic ideology.

Using primary sources and firsthand accounts, Lavin introduces you to “deliverance ministers” who carry out exorcisms by the hundreds; modern-day, self-proclaimed prophets and apostles; Christian militias, cults, zealots, and showmen; and the people in power who are aiding them to achieve their goals.

Along the way, she explores anti-abortion terrorists, the Christian Patriarchy movement, with its desire to place all women under absolute male control; the twisted theology that leads to rampant child abuse; and the ways conspiracy theorists and extremist Christians influence each other to mutual political benefit.

From school boards to the Supreme Court, Christian theocracy is ascendant in America—and only through exploring its motivations and impacts can we understand the crisis we face. In Wild Faith, Lavin fearlessly confronts whether our democracy can survive an organized, fervent theocratic movement, one that seeks to impose its religious beliefs on American citizens.

• “The Christian right has been threatening American plurality for decades, and its influence is on the rise. In Wild Faith, Talia Lavin thoroughly chronicles how this reactionary force is spreading through the US political system and sounds a clear alarm: Christian nationalism is a growing danger to democracy. To fully understand the peril at hand, you must read this book, which is both an investigative triumph and a warning."
  David Corn, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Russian Roulette and American Psychosis
• “Talia Lavin's stunning Wild Faith is an urgent prophecy, a clarion call, a dire warning about what has been happening in America in plain sight, and yet under the noses of millions. With gorgeous prose and her inimitable style, Lavin lifts up a mirror to the ways in which abuse in private becomes public policy, religion is corrupted into fanaticism, and decades of culture warring has led to the brink—a moment we must face squarely, and fight in solidarity.”
  Sarah Weinman, author of The Real Lolita and Scoundrel
• “The good news is that Talia Lavin, with extensive research and deft analysis, has shone a light into the dark corners of hard-right activism. The bad news, as Wild Faith demonstrates, is that an alarming number of white evangelicals are scampering into those corners.”
  Randall Balmer, author of Bad Faith
• “Talia Lavin's latest deep dive into the darkest—and sometimes deadliest—corners of society takes readers inside the Christian extremism movement that's threatening the country. It's a sobering and essential read that, unfortunately, could not be timelier. Rendered in Lavin's trademark intricate, heart-tugging prose, Wild Faith delivers its apocalyptic message with great urgency and flair. Read this book: your life may depend on it."
  Kim Kelly, author of Fight Like Hell
• "A full-bore attack on Christian nationalism’s crusade to remake America."
  Kirkus Reviews
• "Well-told... important and shocking."
  Publishers Weekly
• "Well-researched, powerfully argued and urgent."
  Boston Globe