The Teavangelicals: The Inside Story of How the Evangelicals and the Tea Party are Taking Back America [Hardcover]

David Brody (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 19, 2012

Belonging neither to red states nor blue states, the Tea Party movement erupted onto the national scene with a mission to reclaim America. In the span of one election season, the Tea Party gained popularity and notoriety seen only a few times in our nation's history. At this pivotal point in our development as a nation, the Tea Party has come to represent individual freedom and the American spirit. Committed to values and integrity and aligned with most social conservatives, the Tea Party found a partnership in the evangelical movement, drawing in Christians from all corners of conservatism. Now, these Teavangelicals are poised to draw a line in the sand. In his trademark, award-winning journalistic style, author David Brody introduces Americans to the history, issues, and main players of the Teavangelical movement. Through powerful and engaging stories Brody reveals the scope and magnitude of the movement and how Teavangelicals aim to restore the American Dream to its original glory.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Brody is the Chief Political Correspondent for the Christian Broadcasting Network and his interviews with the top political figures in America can be seen nationwide on The 700 Club. Brody hosts a one-of-a-kind TV show called The Brody File, which features his interviews with top newsmakers and takes a deeper look into the intersection of faith and politics through a Christian worldview. Brody is a graduate of Ithaca College and lives in Rockville, Maryland with his lovely wife of 22 years and his three children. Visit: http://blogs.cbn.com/thebrodyfile/

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (June 19, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310335612
• ISBN-13: 978-0310335610
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #870,091 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Inside Look at Evangelical Involvement In the Tea Party May 18, 2012

By William L. Brown VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

This book provides an insider's account of the involvement of Evangelical Christians in the Tea Party. Written by the Chief Political Correspondent for the Christian Broadcasting Network, the volume chronicles the people, places and politics of the this fledgling movement. It will be of interest to Evangelicals who want to learn more than they can find in the mainstream media outlets, but will not likely appeal to a general audience.

If you are looking for a "smoking gun" to prove that Christians are trying to establish a theocracy through their involvement in politics, you will not find it here. The main interest among the "Teavangelicals" is to reduce the power of government in the lives of the American people. Rather than taking over the levers of power, these political novices are seeking to eliminate much of the administrative state to increase the freedom of every citizen.

The review copy was missing Mike Huckabee's foreword and chapters 5, 8 and 9, which are slated to chronicle the Tea Party successes and/or failures in the 2012 primaries, Teavangelicals and the media, and next steps for the movement. These chapters will have a major role in the auther's assessment of the impact of the Tea Party.

Overall, this is a "folksy" account of a nascent political movement written by a journalist who is intimately involved in significant aspects of the story. The description of Ayn Rand's influence on the Tea Party philosophy is of particular interest, since Teavangelicals agree strongly with her political views but not with her atheism. I found this to be one of the best discussions on the topic.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Primer On Evangelicals In The Tea Party July 7, 2012

By Philip R. Heath TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

The Teavangelicals by David Brody is an interesting and informative read. I am a conservative Christian (although not strictly speaking an Evangelical), and I have not been active in politics beyond voting in elections. I was curious to get more information about the intersection of Evangelical Christians and the Tea Party, and that is just what I found in this book.

Brody does a good job of outlining who Teavangelicals are and where they fit within the larger Tea Party. Readers will find out about how they got started and why along with whom the prominent players and politicians are. I thought Brody did a good job of being balanced in his presentation including the ugly past of some figures like Allen West of Florida.

Overall, this is an accessible read for anyone looking for more information about the Evangelical presence in the Tea Party. If you are curious, this is a good place to start.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Whatever you think of the Tea Party, this is a nicely informative volume July 25, 2012

By Neal C. Reynolds VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Don't expect this to be a preachy book. I liked it for its level description of the Tea Party and especially of those who can be called Teavangelicals. The author obviously is one of them, but he has humor and talks with us in such a way that the reader can understand just where the Party's supporters are coming from. While you know he has no use for our present president, he isn't derisive or insulting in his stand. This is a book worth reading whether you're Republican or Democrat.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Brody: "I Didn't Want To Write This Book, But History Forced Me To" June 12, 2012

By Keith Heapes VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I don't read many socio-political books these days, primarily because they have become so strident the factual information is usually smothered by the shrill presentation. I have a few friends who are involved in their local Tea Party, however they live quite a distance away from us. What I do know about the Tea Party movement (rather than just what I have heard) is pretty general, so I thought this yet unreleased book by David Brody, the Chief Political Correspondent with CBN News, may provide the background information I was looking for. The catchy book title also piqued my interest.

The reader doesn't have to be acquainted with the Tea Party to understand what the book title is meant to convey. "The Teavangelicals (The Inside Story of How the Evangelicals and the Tea Party are Taking Back America)" does provide the historical picture of how the relatively recent Tea Party movement came on the scene. To a large degree, that was the information I was looking for, yet it didn't take long before the author clearly framed those who he was really interested in writing about--the growing number of conservative evangelical Christians who are beginning to populate the Tea Party.

I have to say that after reading the following opening paragraph from "A Note From the Author" I almost closed the book thinking I had possibly made an error in selecting this book:

"I didn't want to write this book but history forced me to. I couldn't help the fact that the Tea Party created a new political movement in the country. I couldn't help the fact that evangelical Christians became a significant portion of this crusade. It happened organically, like a YouTube clip spreading virally. There's no stopping it. Just like me at the buffet table."

Oh my!... But after an opening barrage of similar nonsense, Brody settled down into a nicely organized read, with only sporadic bouts of broadcast hyperbole and silliness, he began writing about exactly what I selected this book for. Brody began analyzing how the Libertarians, early members of the Tea Party, could strike a working relationship with Evangelical Christians. Soon I found out, though these two groups made up the lion's share of the movement, that there were others in the Tea Party, including a small contingent of Independents and Democrats. According to Brody, the name Teavangelicals describes Evangelicals who are not only active in moral issues, like abortion and defining marriage, but have become what he calls "hybrids" because they also espouse core values like:

~ Fiscal responsibility
~ Constitutionally limited government
~ Free market economics

Surprising to some, the Tea Party didn't start in reaction to the Obama administration. The rumblings of discontent began almost a year earlier in the spring of 2008 in reaction to the bailouts of irresponsible financial institutions. According to Brody, a group called FedUpUSA was the tip of the arrow when they held their first protest in April 2008 near the end of former President Bush's second term. Though this was important to the formation of the Tea Party, the signature event most people point to as the galvanizing moment came in February 2009, which will forever be remembered as "The Rant."

Brody writes, "Rick Santelli will go down in Tea Party history as the icon. On live national television, the CNBC correspondent was reporting from the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade and vociferously tore apart President Obama's government plan to bail out people who made bad mortgage deals. `This is America!' Santelli exclaimed. `How many of you people want to pay for your neighbor's mortgage that has an extra bathroom and can't pay their bills? Raise their hand.' Booing ensued and Santelli wasn't done. `President Obama, are you listening? We're thinking of having a Chicago Tea Party in July. All you capitalists [who] want to show up to Lake Michigan, I'm gonna start organizing.' The boos turned to whistling and cheers, and the Tea Party movement was off and running. National Tea Party leaders will readily admit that Santelli's rant changed the political landscape forever."

After interviewing key Evangelical Christian Tea Party leaders Brody lists and describes the five issues that have brought evangelicals and Tea Party Libertarians together:

~ Reclaiming the Country's Judeo-Christian Heritage.
~ Reducing the Size and Scope of Government.
~ Returning to Fiscal Responsibility
~ Reducing Taxes and Opposing Tax Increases.
~ Restoring Free-Market Principles.

He ends one of his early chapters with what Brody calls a "Teaevangelical Test." Unless you were a complete liberal Progressive, there was little probability that the reader would fail to finish with a striking resemblance to a Teaevangelical. Not very scientific. Brody draws the following conclusion: "So what is the bottom line here? Actually, it's pretty simple. You cannot take an issue and attribute it solely to one group of people. The matters outlined in this chapter are not just Tea Party libertarian issues; they are evangelical issues as well."

Brody goes on to list and identify key evangelical organizations that work with and whose members participate in Tea Party activities. He also addresses his interviews with Tea Party leaders about allegations that the Tea Party is a racist movement, especially at its rallies. Near the end (in my book anyway) Brody introduces in a biographical style who he labels as "Evangelical Political Powerhouses" plus names what would probably be called a more grassroots group who have moved toward center stage since "The Rant" lit the fuse on the national Tea Party movement. There is no question that this group is an interesting mix and the reader should not overlook chapters six and seven.

Curiously, my advanced copy of Brody's book was missing over 33 percent of the chapters. The Forward and three complete chapters were missing. So, I will have to end my book review a little earlier than expected. Overall, this book had its ups and downs; it was definitely a mixed bag for me. Some of the writing was very good, some was just plain silly. Most of the information I was looking for was included, except, of course, for the missing pages that were MIA--that wasn't the author's fault, so this was not considered into my rating. I wouldn't expect this book to be a hit or even popular with a broad audience. I found much of it informative. So unless you go off like a Roman Candle on the 4th of July at the slightest provocation or disagreement, I think you may find "The Teavangelicals" generally informative as well. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Inside story in the Tea Party September 23, 2012

By Glenajo

Format:Hardcover

As the Chief Polical Correspondent at CBN News, David Brody has a close up and personal view of the makings of the Tea Party and all the players involved. He uses his connections and knowledge to give those of us concerned with the path of the United States today the benefit of his knowledge. He opens the doors to the grassroots beginnings of the Tea Party giving small biographies of the people who helped make the politicians realize that mainstream America will not allow themselves to be taxes into obscurity. If you have wondered how the Tea Party began to have political power in just a few years, you need to read this book.

Received Galley from NetGalley.com