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C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy

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With The Family, Jeff Sharlet offered readers an inside peek into an organization that on the surface may appear to consist of "nice Christians" who host the annual National Prayer Breakfast (NPB) and DC based prayer groups. However, their version of Christian capitalism led by a muscular Jesus bears scant resemblance to the teachings of Christ as presented in the Gospels. In C Street Jeff continues his fearless reporting by expounding upon this group's global efforts, thus debunking the notion that progressives can find 'common ground' with an organization such as the Family that run roughshod over the first amendment? (One can hear the voice of Roger Williams trying to remind us of the importance of the separation of church and state.) Despite string of sex scandals and other deeds that have shut down countless other ministries, politicians and other global leaders still flock to the Family sponsored National Prayer Breakfast for their coveted photo op with the President. Perhaps this book may make them think twice about accepting their invite to the 2011 NPB.

On a side note, as Jeff has obtained unprecedented access to the Family's archival material that's stored at the Billy Graham Center (Wheaton College), I am suspect of any reporting of The Family/The Fellowship/C Street that doesn't reference Jeff's research. Good reporting requires that one go beyond simply taking the words of those who have a vested interest in the Family.

Jeff Sharlet is on the side of true religion, freedom and democracy. In this follow up to "The Family" Sharlet follows the story of American religious extremism in high places to the next level. What is so great about this book is not just Sharlet's investigative reporting but his mastery of writing. This is actually a great book in every sense of the word, a pleasure to read. Unless more Americans become aware of the insane intentions of so many of our leaders who hide behind the cross to "reclaim" the world "for God" the USA will be headed for our own version of a theocracy. If I could think of a better way to say this I would, but all I can say is please read this book!

As someone who has been pretty diligent about reading Jeff Sharlet's work over the years, I was a little disappointed in this follow-up to "The Family." In it's defense, it is a follow-up and not the main course. Sharlet spends a considerable amount of time restating his previously published research, making this feel like a compilation of greatest hits instead of a new contribution. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and he acknowledges that some chapters are indeed revisited versions of old magazine articles... but the downside of this is that the content loses its luster (at least for those who keep abreast of the subject matter) as well as its value (for those of us who paid for it). To its credit, the writing is excellent and the thoughtfulness with which Sharlet approaches his work is often inspired. The section on Uganda greatly expands the reader's understanding of that country's anti-homosexual politics beyond the confines of conventional reporting.

The greatest strength of this book, unlike perhaps that of "The Family," is in the cogency of it's assessment of evangelical power. Sharlet repeatedly makes the case that the Christian Right in America is primarily a political force, bending it's theology to fit the aspirational demands of it's self-appointed ruling class. Even though Sharlet himself shies away from theological argument, it cannot, alas, be excised from this ruthless story about the acquisition of power.

This book needs to be read by every voting age person. It explains the vision and theocracy behind the "Christian" right, which has nothing to do with Christ but with power and making the rich richer while making the middle class and the poor poorer.

In this sequel to his bestselling study 'The Family', the shadowy elite fundamentalist group embedded in Congress, author Jeff Sharlet has again made a notable contribution to the conversation on the veiled relationship of religion to political power in America. Although members of Congress who gather at their bunkhouse on Washington's C Street present themselves as a religious outfit, they are actually a stealth political caucus concealed in a peculiar conception of Christianity, much like a Klingon warship, its cloaking device on, prowling the heavens in search of prey. Sharlet has stripped away the patina of piety cloaking The Family's senators and congressmen, to offer the reader of 'C Street' an insightful meditation on power, especially The Family's deployment of its not inconsiderable influence in sensitive areas of US foreign policy.

In a particularly brilliant chapter on The Family's influence in Uganda, the template for its operations throughout East Africa, the author describes how Senator Inhofe (OK-R), the groups's point man for Uganda, goes forth under the banner of Jesus to project his brethren's conservative cultural agenda abroad. In Uganda and elsewhere, past and present, The Family has shown an affinity for working with dictators, regardless of their religious persuasion, so long as they take a knee to Jesus. With US foreign aid, especially military aid at stake, this usually presents no problems for foreign leaders. C Streeter's worship is a singular focus on Jesus, absent most of the theology which made Christ the spiritual head of Christendom. In effect, The Family has fashioned its Jesus-worship into a meta-religion which, they argue, frees them from the restraints of conventional Christian morality. Extending this notion into the political realm, these self-anointed mandarins subscribe to the anti-democratic view that they hold high office by virtue of being "nominated" by the voters, but "chosen by God." This speaks to a rare strain of corruption, not of the purse, but a far more virulent form, to wit, corruption of the polity.

Sharlet has demonstrated how The Family's ranks reach into the senior military. One needn't reread C. Wright Mills' 'The Power Elite' to realize that Family flag officers mingle in Washington's drawing rooms with God's chosen members of Congress and, more to the point, that the warriors and their civilian brethren share a common religiously-colored political worldview. In their quest to remake the troops into "ambassadors for Christ in uniform," The Family's generals rely on the chaplain corps, heretofore an ecumenical group, but now increasingly dominated by fundamentalist preachers in uniform who've carried out a "quiet coup." In interviews with senior officers, the author learned that the constitutional separation of church and state has generally been brushed aside.

'C Street's final chapter contains the gravest implications of the subtitle, 'The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy'. Ideally, The Family would like to see our secular Constitution construed in terms of higher law, a reading which would replace the "noise of democracy" with the certainties of faith. Jeff Sharlet has masterfully demystified the mandarins of C Street and their brothers in the manipulation of faith & power. Had the book originally appeared in serialized form in a major newspaper, a Pulitzer for investigative journalism would surely have been in the cards for the coming year.

In The Family Jeff Sharlet first exposed to public view the inner workings of an elaborate, elitist conspiracy to co-opt US politics and governance in the service of plutocrats masquerading in a religious guise. Now C Street is an excellent sequel, giving further details of this cabal, naming names, exposing hypocrisy, and identifying the trails by which The Family has insinuate itself into US and world power.

Sharlet begins with a chronicle of the seamy love affairs conducted by some of The Family's most well known names: Sanford, Ensign, and Pickering. I found the story of Sanford, the former Governor of South Carolina, particularly illuminating in that it describes how he used an assumed religious persona to gain power in one of the poorest states in the nation, where he pursued policies aimed at diverting resources away from the poor and middle class and towards the wealthy few. That really sums up the whole purpose of The Family: to assume a godly outer face to gain the support of people who do not recognize that the people they are voting for are advocates of policies designed to isolate and damage their own futures. More hypocrisy is detailed in other chapters dealing with the surrogate war against gays being conducted in Uganda with the open support of many US Family members and with attempts to inculcate a fundamentalist Family oriented religious orthodoxy on US servicemen and women.

Its easy to understand how in an economic climate like ours many people would flock to leaders who claim to be carrying out God's Will. That's why its even more important to read books like The Fmaily and C Street in order to better grasp the threat our nation faces from people who wave the Bible in one hand and the flag in the other while pursuing policies designed to enhance the wealth of a few and diminish the rest.

Jeff Sharlet's books, The Family and C Street, should be required reading in every school and by every American. His writing is even handed & without any axe to grind - a true reporting on a very scary group of people who are in positions of power and whose designs on the world are so skewed & terrifying they would be unbelievable if this were fiction. I heard C Street as an Audio Book. The narrator is very good and the book, of course, is gripping and powerful. Unfortunately, it is more frightening than any "horror story" I have ever read. We need more people like Mr. Sharlet & the proof of the effectiveness of his writing is that a reader contacted the IRS, questioned the "religious" character of the Family & as a result, it lost its non-profit status. The pen is truly mighty and Mr. Sharlet is to congratulated on his truly patriotic writing.

Every American citizen should read this book. Church and State have been joined to the male elites' cause of a warrior Jesus working around the globe to advance the causes of really rich folks. And they don't care how many people get killed in the process of bringing democracy to foreign governments. They think they're doing god's work. Jesus with the sword, not Jesus of peace and love. Get this book and share it with everyone you know. It should be part of every school: grade, high, college, university, curriculum.

Whether you believe in a god or not. Whatever your stance on church/state separation, organized religion, politics... please read this book. You'll not look at your government representatives and power brokers the same way again.

Jeff Sharlet is the best author covering -- or rather uncovering -- the facts behind the fundamentalist Christians in high places. This book is not about sexual indiscretions committed by Christians in office. It is about a distorted, self-serving and dangerous theology (of sorts) that is the antithesis of Jesus' teachings. This is not a book written to attack Christianity. It is about leaders not only seeking power, influence and money. Nothing new there. It is about the extent and blatant nature of what is going on either unnoticed or unquestioned. We as Americans are naive and defensive when it comes to examing the conduct of Christians in public life.

Every day 22,000 children die due to disease, hunger and other preventable causes while senators are engaged in supporting genocide and dictatorship in the name of Jesus. Jeff explains and documents. The sexual liaisons of C Street garnered media attention. Senator Inhofe's taxpayer funded activities in Africa are essentially not reported.

I highly recommend reading The Family first so you have a fuller picture of the history and reach of The Family. Mr. Sharlet is a clear, entertaining and gifted writer. His information is documented. He is not dealing in sensationalism but rather telling a sensationalistic story. He takes on the power structure who hide in plain sight behind the name of Jesus.

You will be left asking , "are these men deluded, ignorant, power-crazed or simply dangerously ambitious bordering on evil."

Of all the books written during the past several years attempting to document or explain why President Obama is feared and how American values have been hijacked, this is the best. Buy it, read it and share it.