A Christian Scholar Challenging Christian Supremacy
Matthew D. Taylor is an award-winning author, public scholar, and nationally recognized speaker focused on religion, politics, and democracy in the United States. He is the author of Scripture People, The Violent Take It by Force, and the forthcoming book Defying Tyrants, which will be published in October. His work has appeared or been featured in the New York Times, CNN, Weekend Edition, On the Media, Rolling Stone, The Bulwark, Politico, Sojourners, and Religion News Service.
A theologian and religious studies scholar who specializes in American Islam, Christian nationalism, and Christian extremism, he is also the creator of two limited podcast series — American Unexceptionalism and Charismatic Revival Fury. Taylor holds a PhD from Georgetown University and an MA from Fuller Theological Seminary. He currently serves as a visiting scholar at the Center on Faith and Justice at Georgetown University.
Books
Broadleaf Books, coming October 2026
Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists
- \ Christian antichrists \ (noun):
- Those who use power to harm others in the name of Jesus
In this powerhouse book, an expert on Christian extremism issues a profound and biblical rebuke to all who would claim the name of Jesus but disdain his way.
Christian fixation with political power is the theological emergency of our time, and in Defying Tyrants, Matthew D. Taylor, traces the origins of Christian supremacy. Jesus directed his followers away from the race for power, but somewhere along the way, many Christians turned Jesus into a mascot for imperial domination. Where did it all go so wrong?
A trenchant reckoning with the murder, mayhem, and monsters of Christianity — from the early church and the Crusades to colonialism, slavery, and the Holocaust — Defying Tyrants demonstrates how imperialism has infected the body of Christ.
Broadleaf Books (2024)
The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement that is Threatening Our Democracy
"Required reading for anyone seeking to understand Christian nationalism." —Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne
A propulsive account of the network of charismatic Christians that consolidated support for Donald Trump and is reshaping religion and politics in the US.
In this groundbreaking account, Matthew D. Taylor explores the New Apostolic Reformation from its inception in the work of a Fuller Seminary professor, to its immense networks of apostles and prophets, to its role in the January 6 riot. Charismatic faith provided righteous fuel to the fire that day, where symbols of spiritual warfare blazed: rioters blew shofars, worship music blared, and people knelt in prayer. This vision of charismatic Christianity now animates millions, lured by Spirit-filled revival and visions of Christian supremacy.
Podcasts
Charismatic Revival Fury: The New Apostolic Reformation
An Audio-Documentary Series on the Christian Leaders and Ideas that Fueled the Capitol Riot
In this groundbreaking podcast series on the history of the New Apostolic Reformation with Matthew D. Taylor tells the unlikely story of the spirituality of Christian Trumpism. The series, originally aired on the Straight White American Jesus podcast, narrates the widely misunderstood history of the NAR through its key figures—starting with C. Peter Wagner, then moving to Ché Ahn, Lance Wallnau, Cindy Jacobs, and Dutch Sheets. Along the way, we see how people like Sean Feucht, Gen. Michael Flynn, and others fit into the NAR matrix.
The NAR is the most influential Christian phenomenon that you either haven’t heard of, or don’t understand. It is much discussed, but rarely explored in depth with a scholar’s insight and patience. This series will break down myths and clearly present the origins of the fastest growing component of Christianity in the USA—and maybe the world.
Charismatic Revival Fury was written by Matthew D. Taylor, produced by Bradley Onishi, and engineered by Scott Okamoto.
American Unexceptionalism: Global Lessons in Fighting Religious Nationalism
The Current Eruption of Religious Nationalism is Global. So is the Resistance.
In this limited-series podcast, Dr. Matthew D. Taylor teams up with the Rev. Susan Hayward (a former director at the US Institute of Peace and an activist pastor on the front lines in Minneapolis) about what Americans can learn from people around the world who have resisted religious nationalism and authoritarianism.
The series turns the idea of American exceptionalism on its head, asking: What can we Americans learn from others about protecting democracy when the stakes are high? How have Buddhists in Sri Lanka, Muslims in Turkey, and Christians in South Korea confronted religious nationalism in their own contexts—and what lessons can we draw from their struggles to restrain its power?
Through conversations with scholars and activists, we explore how these movements unfolded, how they mirror or differ from the American experience, and what practical insights they offer for those working to defend pluralism and democratic life in the United States today.