Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy - Hardcover

by Katherine Stewart (Author)

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY FOREIGN AFFAIRS

"An eerily prescient guide to the phantasmagoria of our political moment."-The New York Times Book Review

"American democracy isn't simply dying. It is, as Stewart observes, being murdered."-The New Republic

"Meticulously researched, elegantly written, and hard-hitting."-Kristin Kobes Du Mez

From the acclaimed author of The Power Worshippers, "an indispensable citizen's guide to the anti-democratic MAGA Right in America" (Congressman Jamie Raskin).

Why have so many Americans turned against democracy? In this deeply reported book, Katherine Stewart takes us to conferences of conspiracy-mongers, backroom strategy gatherings, and services at extremist churches, and profiles the people who want to tear it all down. She introduces us to reactionary Catholic activists, atheist billionaires, pseudo-Platonist intellectuals, self-appointed apostles of Jesus, disciples of Ayn Rand, women-hating opponents of "the gynocracy," pronatalists preoccupied with the dearth of white babies, Covid truthers, militia members masquerading as "concerned moms" and battalions of spirit warriors who appear to be inventing a new style of religion even as they set about attacking democracy at its foundations.

Along the way, she provides a compelling analysis of the authoritarian reaction in the United States. She demonstrates that the movement relies on several distinct constituencies, with very different and often conflicting agendas. Stewart's reporting and comprehensive political analysis helps reframe the conversation about the moral collapse of conservatism in America and points the way forward toward a democratic future.

"Katherine Stewart has written what may be the most important political book of the day, exposing the networks of dark money funded, ultra right-wing subversives who have already done enormous damage to our Constitution and the rule of law and are now perilously close to overthrowing the American government as we know it"-Sean Wilentz

Author Biography

Katherine Stewart's latest book, Money, Lies and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy, is one of Foreign Affairs magazine's Best Books of 2025. Her previous, award-winning title, The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism, formed the basis of the documentary feature, God & Country, produced by Rob Reiner. Her 2012 book, The Good News Club, focused on efforts, by the religious right, to infiltrate and undermine public education. She has covered the intersection of faith and politics for over 17 years; her work appears in the New York Times, the New Republic, Religion News Service, the Guardian and elsewhere Find her at @katherinestewart.bsky.social, https: //substack.com/@katherinestewartbooks, and katherinestewart.me.