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American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century Paperback – March 27, 2007

4.6 out of 5 stars 254

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An explosive examination of the coalition of forces that threatens the nation, from the bestselling author of American Dynasty

In his two most recent bestselling books, American Dynasty and Wealth and Democracy, Kevin Phillips established himself as a powerful critic of the political and economic forces that rule—and imperil—the United States, tracing the ever more alarming path of the emerging Republican majority’s rise to power. Now Phillips takes an uncompromising view of the current age of global overreach, fundamentalist religion, diminishing resources, and ballooning debt under the GOP majority. With an eye to the past and a searing vision of the future, Phillips confirms what too many Americans are still unwilling to admit about the depth of our misgovernment.


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Editorial Reviews

Review

A harrowing picture of national danger that no American reader will welcome, but that none should ignore. (The New York Times Book Review)

An indispensable presentation of the case against things as they are. (
Time)

Everyone should have access to what
American Theocracy so powerfully tells us about our country at this critical time. (Chicago Sun-Times)

The story of the impending end of American supremacy. . . . [Phillips] brings all the strands together and puts them into context. (Salon.com)

About the Author

Kevin Phillips has been a political and economic commentator for more than three decades. A former White House strategist, he is a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times and NPR and writes for Harper’s and Time. His books include New York Times bestsellers The Politics of Rich and Poor and Wealth and Democracy.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0143038281
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; Reprint edition (March 27, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 512 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780143038283
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143038283
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.02 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.04 x 5.57 x 8.38 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 254

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Kevin P. Phillips
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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
254 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2006
As a former GOP strategist, Kevin Phillips has a viewpoint that other Bush Administration critics do not. He sees the multiple faults clearly and up close. His superb writing abilities have provided the curious reader a true gem. Put simply, GET THIS BOOK!

Phillips' broad knowledge and experience are only exceeded by his careful research and analysis. He takes aim at difficult and disturbing current events, and succeeds in making sense out of these unusual times. Big Oil, The Bush administration, Iraq, Iran, are only part of the problem. Rising, irrational and destructive evangelical beliefs, rooted in the supposed inerrancy of the bible, together with even more irrational beliefs in a present day Rapture and Armageddon, have taken a choke hold over important parts of society, government and policy. Phillips' analysis is often scary, yet it becomes patently (and painfully) obvious due to his interesting and informative historical perspective.

Phillips' analysis of our debt situation is sobering. Yet, this looming danger is being ignored by almost all of today's MSM. Phillips manages to convey his fears and analysis without ever sounding like a hysterical teenager, screaming about pimples and acne before a big date. To the contrary, his approach is all the more effective because his research and facts seem irrefutable.

One comes away with the strong feeling that this generation is seeing the destruction of America - not from "terra-ists" or those who "hate us for our freedom", but from incredible debt, peak oil, corporate mismanagement, a thoroughly incompetent Bush Administration and worst of all, the rise of evangelical beliefs which are actually damaging the country.

I would have no doubts that Mr. Phillips will suffer from threats, abuse and potentially dangerous situations caused by the ultra-religious right, but for the fact that most of those he so accurately describes probably have difficulties with words containing more than two syllables, unless they pertain to NASCAR or the bible. Add to that, his targets probably don't read anything outside the Tim LeHayne religious propaganda. Thus, we hope that Mr. Phillips remains safe from those extremists.

Mr. Phillips has provided Americans with an important, well-written, beautifully edited and impressive book. A generation from now, when historians look back at the fall and collapse of the United States, they will point to his book and say, "Ah, here is one guy who got it, and even warned about it, but like the oracles of old, he suffered greatly by being ignored simply because he was correct."

Some works of fiction make for great brain candy, and are fulfulling because they are hard to put down. Rarely does a non-fictional book take on difficult times, scary subjects and do it so well. Phillips' latest is hard to put down, even if his conclusions and findings are so disturbing. A highly recommended read.
45 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2023
Ordered this as an addendum to a book study at my parish and your speedy delivery has been very helpful. Thank you.
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2006
"America Theocracy" is an odd title for a book where the subject of religion only occupies about a third of its pages. The overarching topic of the book is a warning that the United States has all the earmarks of a society in decline and the author draws continual comparisons with the collapse of Britain, Spain and Holland as world powers. In three ways the United States is traveling down a dangerous albeit well trod path. First, is America's utter dependency on petroleum and refusal to seriously explore new energy sources. Second, is the increasing convergence of government and religion and the denigration of science. Finally, the dramatic increase in U.S. debt both in government and individually and the erosion of manufacturing. Each of these strands is a ticking time bomb with the potential to do massive damage to the world's only super power. Kevin Phillips lays most of the blame on the GOP despite being a former Republican strategist. Like John Dean he has seen the effects of the Republican majority through unclouded eyes and doesn't like what he sees.

Too... much... information. That was my continuing thought as I read through Kevin Phillips thick, dense tome. At just shy of 400 pages "American Theocracy" is a long hard slog chronicling the history of religion in the United States from the 1600's to today. I have to give Mr. Phillips credit for creating a meticulously well researched book but man does it ever read like a dry history book. Along with religion, Mr. Phillips also spends considerable time discussing how mastery of fuel resources and empires coincide and how large energy companies can drive foreign policy. I suppose it all ties together but I would have hacked out the first 100 pages of the book.

A little less than half way through the book the author finally hits his stride and the reading moves from tedious to frightening. The fact is that there has been an increased merging of church and government in the past couple of decades. During the Reagan years the goal was merely to influence government but Reagan's failure to enact true changes (school prayers, ban on abortions) inspired the religious right to try a new tactic, become the government. There is a powerful Christian influence in the United States that would like to see Christianity acknowledged as the national religion and government legislating by puritanical Christian standards. The author uses graphs and figures to show how this movement initially drew its strength from Southern dissatisfaction after the civil war and a feeling of persecution.

I used to think that the religious right was the most dangerous threat to American prominence but over the last few years I've changed my opinion. The biggest threat is the unbridled greed of man and the increasing power of wealth in the United States. Mr. Phillips throws out some mind numbing figures. Household debt increased 39% in the first 4 years of the Bush II presidency. Since Bush has been president 40% of new private sector jobs created were housing related. For the first time ever the average household in the U.S. saves less than nothing per paycheck. America has become a debtor nation and the government is doing nothing about it because it serves some wealthy constituents. Of the three strands this is the one most likely to drop the United States from super power status. So how would a nuclear powered, conservative religious country behave in decline? Hopefully we will see some politicians come into government who are concerned with more than just their wealthiest constituents and the next election cycle and correct the mistakes that threaten our country.
10 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2006
Then read this book. If you consider yourself conservative, Christian and patriotic you may angrily dismiss it, but please do so on the basis of contrary evidence and post your review.

Phillips never lets us know what his own religious leaning is. If it's Christian, it would add to his credibility. However, religious is not be a prerequisite for writing strong history. He makes a good case behind the premise that America like other empires before it will fail by over-extending militarily, letting our manufacturing base be superseded by finance and credit, ignoring the physics of energy and by becoming a theocracy. The parallels to The Netherlands, England and Spain are convincing.

Anyone who loves America will be stunned. With relentless streams of scary statistics and eery historical similarities, he reads like a Steven King of political history. He has observed and written about the religious right's evolution for 25 years, since working for Ronald Reagan. What he says can't easily be dismissed as fiction or the ranting of the newly converted.

It's sad that the GOP mainstream will be told what they need to know about the book and will take it on faith that they don't need to read it. Those who take exception to that assessment can start reading and make up their own minds.

Good night and God Bless The World.
17 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Rahaman Baksh
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read.
Reviewed in Canada on June 10, 2018
Informative book.Great read.
Casey Roo
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunningly good in its breadth, depth, fresh insights, and great writing. A star amongst stars.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2007
I have a floor-to-ceiling bookcase on American history in the age of Bush, and I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this as one of the most gripping analyses I've read on this or almost any other subject. Previous reviewers have noted the author's extraordinary capacity for making connections where one hadn't previously seen them - or seen them so clearly - so I won't repeat them, simply endorse. I feel as if I'm starting to understand linkages that I hadn't seen before or had only dimly grasped at.

One exceptional factor is the authhor's breadth and depth of knowledge. Unlike many American authors, his span is world-wide (one of his earliest topics is the rise of Dutch sea power, for example) and deeply rooted in the past. On a couple of occasions I wondered whether he was giving too much emphasis to a particular issue - for example the popularity of the Left Behind series - but then I looked for myself and saw that he wasn't.

The present situation has called the best out of some of the world's best historians (I can only hope that someone's listening) but this is superlative. Plus it's extremely well-written. I can't recommend it too highly, even to those who might have a bookshelf bigger than mine.
6 people found this helpful
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供八五郎
4.0 out of 5 stars 石油・キリスト教右派・借金経済の呪縛
Reviewed in Japan on July 22, 2007
500頁近い本だったが、少しずつ読み進めて4カ月かかってしまった。

アメリカの現代政治史を専攻している人なら全部を読む価値があるのだろうが、
そうでなければ最初と最後、ペーパーバックへの序文(これだけで約40頁)と
第11章「道を誤った共和党の多数派」、だけで著者の論旨はつかめると思う。

共和党員の著者は、最近の共和党の変節を石油・キリスト教右派・借金経済の影響力に
よるものと考え、これが帝国アメリカの衰退につながるものと、警告を発している。
特に、2代12年のブッシュ「王朝」への批判は厳しい。
・アメリカやイギリスだけでなく、サウジの石油生産量も既にピークを越えているのに、
 石油依存経済から脱却できない。
・南北戦争で敗れた南部が、福音主義派の勢力拡大に力を注ぎ、結局共和党を押さえて
 しまった。アルマゲドンを信じている彼らは、中東での紛争やイスラエルとアラブの
 紛争さえ、最終戦争へのステップとみなしている。また、石油は神が用意してくれる
 ものと信じているのは、進化論の論争以上に私には驚きだ。
・ヘッジファンドなどの借金経済の鬼ッ子。最近の新聞にも、政治献金が突出していると
 報道されたばかりだ。

政治学の論文のようで、翻訳は出ないだろうと思う。役に立ったかと言われれば、
アメリカの基層のところで、宗教の果たしている役割を再認識できたことだろうか。
Southern Baptist Convention(南部福音主義派協議会?)の影響力の大きさは侮れない。
One person found this helpful
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Veruca Boot
5.0 out of 5 stars Probably contains some good insights. Ideal for the modern 'secular liberal Republican'
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 10, 2015
I haven't read this yet. I assumed it would be interesting and then I read the front cover and realised it said 'American' and 'Theocracy' on it. Will get to it eventually. It's dated and it isn't a snapshot. Probably contains some good insights. Ideal for the modern 'secular liberal Republican'.