The Violent Take It By Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy

Written by Matthew D. Taylor

Narrated by Asa Siegel

Over the last decade, the Religious Right has evolved. Some of the more extreme beliefs of American evangelicalism have begun to take hold in the mainstream. Scholar Matthew D. Taylor pulls back the curtain on a little-known movement of evangelical Christians who see themselves waging spiritual battles on a massive scale. Known as the New Apostolic Reformation, this network of leaders and believers yields colossal influence, galvanizing support for Trump and far-right leaders around the world. In this groundbreaking account, Taylor explores the New Apostolic Reformation from its inception in the work of a Fuller Seminary professor, to its immense networks of apostles and prophets, to its role in the January 6 riot.



Taylor's unprecedented access to the movement's leaders, archives, internal conference calls, and correspondence gives us an insider account of the connection between charismatic evangelicalism and hard-right rhetoric. Taylor delves into prophetic memes like the Seven Mountains Mandate, the Appeal to Heaven flag, and the Cyrus Anointing; Trump's spiritual advisor Paula White's call for "angelic reinforcements"; and Sean Feucht and Bethel Music's titanic command of worship styles across America. Throughout, Taylor maps a movement of magnetic leaders and their uncompromising beliefs—and where it might be headed next.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ChristianAudio.com
• Release date: Sep 24, 2024
• ISBN: 9781545927199

Reviews for The Violent Take It By Force

[renee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

We are living out the author’s thoughts at the end of this book. Very well written and adds details to what I’ve been watching happen these last ten years.

[pomo58 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Violent Take It by Force, by Matthew D Taylor, is an in-depth look at a relatively small but highly influential Christian Nationalist/Supremacist group, the New Apostolic Reformation.

I am not going into great detail on this review because I would too easily start voicing my own views about all shades of Christian Nationalism, in fact, all forms of nationalism. If you want to better understand these groups in general and this one in particular, this is a very good read. It wouldn't be so scary if there weren't people in office right now associated with them, which means some of the loudest voices in government are opposed to our form of government. Let that sink in. Then read this to understand where their beliefs come from and what they want to do.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing.

[lpg3d · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is our future, and it is terrifying. In this book, Matthew D. Taylor traces the roots of the Christian nationalist movement that led to the insurrection on January 6, 2021, and now the control of all three branches of the U.S. government. While it is tempting to write these people off as delusional (For example, a group of them traveled to Nepal to conduct “spiritual warfare” against a demon named “the Queen of Heaven” on the slopes of Mount Everest. (Of course, they claimed victory.)), this would be a mistake. They are smart, sincere, resourceful, ruthless, and relentless. Also, they are hellbent (so to speak) to rule the country (and, eventually the world), and to force everyone to follow their particularly narrow flavor of Christianity.
[Note: The publisher provided me a copy of this book as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer.]

[mwilson1070 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was very interested in ordering this book because I have been involved in the Charismatic stream of Christianity for my entire adult life. I have served in various capacities in Charismatic churches, including as a Senior Pastor. I was introduced to and fully embraced the ideas of the New Apostolic Reformation. In the early to mid-2000s, I was fully committed to these ideologies. Fortunately, around 2010 I went through a period of questioning, analyzing, and eventually reevaluating my views, and they no longer aligned with this particular movement within the Charismatic stream.

I have often wondered about the seemingly idol status of Donald Trump among Christians. Full disclaimer: I voted for Donald Trump in 2016, but I have never been one to look at him as the savior of America. So, when I had the chance to read this book, I was all in, as I wanted to see if I could find some answers within its pages. The author did not disappoint me.

The author approaches this topic from a journalist's and researcher's perspective. He covers people involved in the NAR without demonizing any of them. I appreciated the way he presented the facts of their ideology and how they gained significant influence on the Christian landscape.

He thoroughly details how certain members of the NAR gained influence and how that influence affected the events leading up to and including January 6th. He also explains how these individuals gained influence in Donald Trump's political career.

This book is thoroughly researched. The author conducted interviews with various participants of the NAR movement and includes excerpts from those interviews in his work. He presents the core teachings of the NAR and its "leaders" (I use quotes because the NAR is a movement, not an organization). For those who are not familiar with the NAR, it provides a great understanding of their ideologies and agendas. For those, like myself, who are familiar with them, it will be very familiar territory.

I received the book on a Friday and started reading it that evening. I couldn't put it down and finished it by the following evening. It felt like a trip down memory lane for me, as I was very familiar with many of the backstories and ideologies the author shared.

I haven't embraced the NAR ideologies for over a decade. This book further confirmed my belief that these ideologies are not beneficial for the Church or our country.

I do take issue with the subtitle of the book, "The Christian Movement That is Threatening Our Democracy." The United States is not a democracy; it is a constitutional republic. This is an important distinction that many people overlook. Despite disagreeing with the subtitle, I agree with his overall analysis of the NAR movement. I believe that the leaders of this movement love God and are sincere believers in Jesus. However, I think they are misguided in their interpretation of what Jesus has truly instructed his followers to do.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the NAR movement and its effects on the political system, particularly the Republican/conservative side, of which I consider myself a part. While I share the same political persuasion as the NAR, I do not agree with their ideologies on how best to bring change to our nation and the Republican party.

[lesindy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book explains different sects of apostolic and evangelical Christianity, and the terrifying violence and take-all mindset that some church leaders have. There isn't much about the actual insurrection, but it is interesting to see how one person can influence others.

[drneutron_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

We keep asking over and over why evangelicals unwaveringly support Trump. Taylor’s exposé of the nondenominational charismatic movement, their theology and reliance on spiritual warfare, and their emphasis on emotional experiences rings truer than most I’ve read. In such a complex situation, no single answer is right, but his captures a big part of the picture. This book will probably scare the hell out of you - it did me.