The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory Summary, Analysis and Themes

Tim Alberta’s nonfiction book, The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory, published in 2023, offers a penetrating examination of America’s extreme evangelical movement and its profound influence on culture and politics. 

As a journalist deeply familiar with the country’s political landscape, Alberta takes readers on a journey through the modern Christian right’s alignment with divisive figures like Donald Trump. His exploration goes beyond political analysis, weaving personal reflection and historical context to unravel the complexities behind the rise of a movement that has reshaped America’s ideological identity.

Summary

In this book, Tim Alberta delves deep into the evangelical Christian movement in America, tracing its evolution and highlighting its increasing engagement with political power. 

Alberta, raised in a deeply religious household by a Presbyterian megachurch preacher, shares his personal relationship with faith, which significantly shapes his perspective. 

A dedicated Christian himself, Alberta’s upbringing was rooted in religious values, yet during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, he faced an internal struggle. He watched in dismay as evangelical groups rallied behind Donald Trump, a political figure whose values seemed far removed from the Christian teachings Alberta grew up with. 

This dichotomy spurred Alberta to investigate the troubling intersections between religion and politics.

Alberta’s first book, American Carnage, published in 2019, had already begun this exploration by chronicling the turmoil within conservative political circles and their alignment with evangelical leaders. 

The reaction was swift, particularly from conservative media personalities like Rush Limbaugh, who denounced Alberta’s work. 

Even members of his father’s congregation accused him of betraying their values. 

This personal conflict compelled Alberta to reexamine the broader evangelical movement and its transformation from spiritual pursuit to political force, a journey he continues in his second book.

The core of The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory is an exploration of the Christian evangelical movement’s historic and contemporary power structures. 

Alberta traces Christianity’s involvement in state affairs as far back as the fifth century, showcasing how the religion’s pursuit of political security often led to corruption. 

He highlights figures like Jerry Falwell Sr., whose leadership solidified evangelicals’ political clout in the modern era, particularly in the United States. For Alberta, much of this political alignment is driven by fear and anger, with evangelical leaders encouraging a mentality of victimhood. 

Followers are taught to see opposition as a threat to their faith, which often leads to extreme behavior.

However, Alberta goes further by suggesting that many of these leaders are fully aware of the manipulation they exert over their followers. Instead of purely spiritual guidance, they seek wealth and power, using their influence to stoke division and fear. 

This calculated manipulation fuels the rise of a movement increasingly marked by violence and extremism. 

Alberta’s argument suggests that, while the rank-and-file members of the evangelical community may sincerely believe they are defending their faith, the movement’s leadership is more concerned with worldly gains than spiritual integrity.

One of the most striking elements of Alberta’s account is the personal toll this political shift has taken on his own family. 

His father, a devout preacher who had dedicated his life to Christian ministry, became a supporter of Donald Trump in 2016, much to Alberta’s confusion. The juxtaposition of his father’s humble, Christ-like faith and his sudden embrace of Trump’s brand of nationalism created a deep conflict for Alberta. 

As he grappled with his father’s political choices, Alberta came to see his father’s shift as emblematic of the broader evangelical movement’s departure from its spiritual roots. 

Instead of glorifying God through love and humility, the movement has embraced a version of Christianity intertwined with fear, nationalism, and political gain.

Analysis and Themes

The Conflict Between Spirituality and Political Power: The Evolution of Evangelical Christianity

One of the most significant themes in Tim Alberta’s “The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory” is the tension between spirituality and political power within evangelical Christianity.

Alberta traces this tension back to the early historical intersections of Christianity and state affairs, noting how the quest for political security often led religious movements astray from their spiritual roots. 

Christianity’s involvement in politics is depicted as a double-edged sword—while it allowed the faith to gain security and influence, it also led to corruption and the manipulation of faith for worldly purposes.

In modern times, Alberta draws a direct line from the evangelical movements of the late 20th century, particularly under figures like Jerry Falwell Sr., to the current political climate. 

The alignment with figures like Donald Trump marks the culmination of this process, where spirituality is increasingly sacrificed for political power. 

This alignment, Alberta argues, is not driven by spiritual convictions but by fear, anger, and a desire for influence and control.

The Weaponization of Fear and Anger: Evangelical Leadership’s Manipulation

A central theme in Alberta’s book is the deliberate use of fear and anger by evangelical leaders to consolidate their influence.

Alberta asserts that much of the modern evangelical movement has been built around a mentality of victimhood, where followers are taught to see the world as hostile to their faith. 

This worldview, fostered by evangelical leadership, encourages the perception that Christianity is under siege, which justifies increasingly extreme political and social actions.

The leadership’s role in perpetuating this fear is framed as a calculated strategy. Alberta suggests that leaders, aware of their ability to manipulate emotions, exploit these sentiments for personal gain, be it wealth or political power. The fear and anger become tools to stoke division and galvanize followers, creating an atmosphere where opposition is demonized and compromise is impossible.

The Erosion of Spiritual Integrity: The Rise of Nationalism in Evangelical Circles

Alberta delves into how the Christian evangelical movement has shifted away from its spiritual foundation toward a more nationalistic identity.

This erosion of spiritual integrity is a recurring motif throughout his exploration of modern evangelicalism. The movement, once focused on glorifying God through love, humility, and service, has increasingly intertwined itself with nationalism and political gain. Alberta sees this as a tragic transformation, where the movement’s leaders embrace figures like Donald Trump not because of shared values, but because of the power such alliances provide.

The shift to nationalism is portrayed as not only a political move but a theological one. Alberta argues that for many in the movement, the gospel has been replaced by a political creed that prioritizes American identity and power over the message of Christ. This embrace of nationalism, Alberta suggests, reflects a deeper departure from the spiritual teachings of the faith.

Personal and Familial Conflict: Navigating Ideological Shifts in a Religious Context

Alberta’s personal conflict with his father’s support for Donald Trump serves as an intimate lens through which he explores the broader evangelical shift.

This familial conflict, though specific to Alberta, reflects the experience of many Christians grappling with the evangelical movement’s political turn. Alberta’s father, a devout preacher whose life was shaped by humble, Christ-like values, suddenly aligns himself with a political figure who seems antithetical to those teachings. For Alberta, this shift is symbolic of the broader evangelical community’s transformation, where political loyalty overrides spiritual consistency.

The personal toll this conflict takes on Alberta underscores a broader theme in his work: the emotional and spiritual dissonance that arises when faith is fused with politics. His struggle to reconcile his father’s support for Trump with the religious values they both hold highlights the deep divisions that such political entanglements create within families and communities.

The Corrupting Nature of Power: Leadership’s Role in Shaping Evangelical Extremism

A dominant theme in Alberta’s analysis is the corrupting influence of power on evangelical leadership.

Alberta argues that as evangelical leaders have gained more political clout, they have drifted further from the spiritual integrity they once espoused. This corruption, he suggests, is not incidental but a predictable consequence of their pursuit of political and financial gain. He points out that many of these leaders are fully aware of their manipulative tactics, using religion as a tool to gain influence rather than as a guide to moral or spiritual truth.

This pursuit of power is often justified under the guise of protecting religious values, but Alberta contends that the real motives are more cynical. The leaders of the movement, according to him, exploit their followers’ fears, pushing them toward extremism and violence in a way that benefits the leadership’s hold on power. This theme of corruption touches on the broader historical pattern Alberta traces, where religion’s involvement in politics frequently leads to moral decay.

The Transformation of Evangelical Identity: From Spiritual Pursuit to Political Movement

The shift in evangelical identity from a spiritual pursuit to a political movement is perhaps the most overarching theme in Alberta’s work.

What once began as a religious movement focused on spiritual salvation has, in Alberta’s view, been overtaken by political ambitions. This transformation is portrayed not as a natural evolution but as a distortion of the faith’s core principles. The evangelical community, once defined by its dedication to Christ’s teachings, is now more closely associated with political ideologies, particularly those surrounding nationalism and conservatism.

This politicization of faith, Alberta argues, has reshaped the movement’s goals and identity. Instead of focusing on spiritual growth and the betterment of society through Christian principles, the movement has become more concerned with securing political power and advancing a specific social agenda. 

The result is a version of Christianity that, in Alberta’s view, bears little resemblance to its original message of love, humility, and service.