KINGDOM of RAGE: THE RISE of CHRISTIAN EXTREMISM and the PATH BACK to PEACE (audiobook) by Elizabeth Neumann

Published by Worthy Books in 2024.
Read by Erin Bennett.
Duration: 8 hours, 38 minutes.
Unabridged.

Elizabeth Neumann worked for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the George W. Bush and Trump administrations. 

During the Bush Administration, the work of the DHS centered around preventing attempts by foreign groups, usually Muslim-based, to commit acts of terrorism on the United States or on Americans abroad. She became an expert on why some Muslims were radicalizing (or self-radicalizing), the signs of what to look for, and things that can be done to prevent radicalization.

During the Trump Administration, she started seeing more and more reports about domestic terrorism, usually coming from self-radicalized ultra-conservatives who are encouraged by media. Two prime examples are the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter and the El Paso shooter. Both issued manifestos that quoted liberally from fringe MAGA Conservative theories, like the  Great Replacement theory pushed by politicians like Donald Trump and media figures like Tucker Carlson. Carlson mentioned the theory more than 400 times on his show.

At first, Neumann thought this was a ridiculous notion. But, as she noticed changes in rhetoric at her own church and with old friends from a former church that she reconnected with, she decided to take a serious look.

What she saw were the exact same trends in some parts of the American Christian community that she had found in the radicalized Muslim community 10-12 years earlier and it mortified her. This was not the faith she knew. She recognized that thought as well - she had heard it so many times when Muslim terrorists were her main worry during the Bush Administration.

Neumann does a thorough job of explaining the process of radicalization and the dangers of flirting with radicalizing comments for political gain. She also demonstrates that "self-radicalization" is much easier with the rise of social media. People prone to radicalization can easily find an online community. They can also watch videos and read texts without interacting with another human being. While this section is thorough, it is often dry and clinical as well. It felt more like a textbook reading or a briefing rather than an engaging text.

Her recommendations section have a similar feel, making the book as a whole highly informative but not particularly engaging.

I rate this audiobook 3 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: KINGDOM of RAGE: THE RISE of CHRISTIAN EXTREMISM and the PATH BACK to PEACE.