From Publishers Weekly
In this often strident expose of James Dobson, founder and president of Focus on the Family, an ultraconservative Christian organization, former Focus vice-president Alexander-Moegerle issues a call to all politically concerned Americans to beware of Dobson's political agenda. It's no secret that Dobson, as Alexander-Moegerle writes, advocates "smaller government, larger defense, the elimination of the Department of Education and the NEA, and the barring of women and homosexuals from military service." Alexander-Moegerle relies on his more than 15 years of close contact with Dobson to paint a portrait of Dobson as an autocratic manager hungry for political power and recognition. According to the author, Dobson's Nazarene belief that he is sinless and morally perfect results in Dobson's stance that he is morally superior to others, even his employees. Such a stance, combined with Dobson's apparent sexism, racism and homophobia, and his ability to lobby Capitol Hill with "500,000 to 1 million phone calls and letters within hours," according to Alexander-Moegerle, seem to make Dobson a tremendous political threat to the pluralism and diversity of political views in America. Unfortunately, the second half of the book, in which Alexander-Moegerle chronicles his own lawsuit against the Dobson organization, mars the force of the rest of the book, since the text turns more toward personal vendetta than levelheaded critique. Even so, Alexander-Moegerle brings into the open some serious questions about Dobson and Focus on the Family that merit response.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Evangelical Christian psychologist James Dobson's strategy for combating contemporary cultural rot involves melding ultraconservative politics, tight corporate control of his Focus on the Family organization, and a personal understanding of God's word and marketing the antirot prescriptions he comes up with via the conservative Christian media. Curiously, the proceeds from many if not all of his cures seem to line Dobson's personal and corporate pockets. So former true-believer Alexander-Moegerle contends as he exposes the creature behind Dobson's smiling, fatherly persona and his questionable personal management style; from searching employees' offices to blackballing fellow authors with his publisher, Dobson is a Christian corporate octopus. As intriguing as Alexander-Moegerle's chilling depiction of how media soul-saving and moral crusading works is the bizarre credulity of Dobson's flock. Even Alexander-Moegerle confesses surprise when a performer on a TV church service tears up on cue; indeed, that kind of duplicity inspired him to expose the man he believes is a powerful and possibly dangerous media manipulator. Mike Tribby
