Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds

Comedian Fugelsang assails the right-wing hijacking of Christianity in this potent debut call to recenter Jesus’s teachings. Arguing that fundamentalists have contorted scripture to support hyperconservative viewpoints, he contends that Jesus’s call for disciples to buy swords in the Gospel of Luke—which might seem to support violence—was very context specific. Elsewhere, he posits that white nationalism is expressly contradicted by Jesus’s interactions with Samaritans, prostitutes, and marginalized groups, and that support for the death penalty goes against Jesus’s emphasis on compassion and forgiveness. Far more relevant, he asserts, is the biblical refrain of fighting poverty and welcoming strangers—an imperative ignored by conservatives because such “inconvenient” teachings are harder to adhere to and undercut the human desire for “earthly power” that’s been supercharged by right-wing politicians. While the author’s potshots at Republican lawmakers (“Jesus... rejected earthly materialism, renounced the idea of revenge, and commanded us to welcome the stranger. I know, right? Just like Donald Trump”) might alienate some of the readers he claims to want to reach, the author’s blend of theology and humor energizes his thought-provoking talking points. Christians looking to push back against fundamentalist teachings will find plenty of ammunition in this acerbic and accessible treatise. (Aug.)