Preparing for War

The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism—and What Comes Next

By: Bradley Onishi

Narrated by: Bradley Onishi

The insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, was not a blip or an aberration. It was the logical outcome of years of a White evangelical subculture's preparation for war. Religion scholar and former insider Bradley Onishi maps the origins of White Christian nationalism and traces its offshoots in Preparing for War.

Combining his own experiences in the youth groups and prayer meetings of the 1990s with an immersive look at the steady blending of White grievance politics with evangelicalism, Onishi crafts an engrossing account of the years-long campaign of White Christian nationalism that led to January 6. How did the rise of what Onishi calls the New Religious Right, between 1960 and 2015, give birth to violent White Christian nationalism during the Trump presidency and beyond? What propelled some of the most conservative religious communities in the country—communities of which Onishi was once a part—to ignite a cold civil war?

Through chapters on White supremacy and segregationist theologies, conspiracy theories, the Christian-school movement, purity culture, and the right-wing media ecosystem, Onishi pulls back the curtain on a subculture that birthed a movement and has taken a dangerous turn.

©2023 Bradley Onishi (P)2023 eChristian

Excruciatingly Accurate

As a former right wing evangelical for over 40 years, like Onishi I lived what he describes in this book. I, too, asked myself: would I have been there on January 6th? Ironically, the actions of my fellow eva's during the Trump era is the very thing that pushed me away from that ideology. I appreciate the background that Onishi provided for both the evangelical and right wing histories. I knew some of it already from many authors he thanks in the book, but his unique perspective as an Asian American in SoCal is one I'd not considered nor heard before. I'd also never heard of the ReDoubt movement, which was fascinating and chilling to learn of. Since this book was released in 2022, some of what Onishi predicts in the book has come true: Trump has now been indicted 4 times for several crimes including attempting to steal the election, and this has only served to grow the white supremacist Myth to a fever pitch, with his ratings, and coffers, skyrocketing, and violent rhetoric taking center stage. Tucker Carlson is fomenting civil war, pre-accusing democrats of wanting to kill Trump. As Onishi says in the book, accountability from both parties is the only way out. May we find our way back to sanity!

Eye Opening Read

An absolute masterclass of work from Mr. Onishi. Great context provided through and avoids bias. The work goes into fine detail to the beginnings in Orange County in the 50s to Goldwater’s campaign and the remarkable changes that have transpired since then. It’s a fascinating tale to tell with ominous signs for the future. Regardless of your politics, it is worth a listen or read just for the sheer context on a murky subject.

Religious Fundementalism and Freedom

Bradley Oniishi reviews the history of Christian Fundamentalism in the United States over the last two and a half centuries and the impact this had on our body politic. II found this to be an outstanding historical piece from someone who grew up within the fundementaliist tradition and the warnings that he makes for the future of our liberal democracy. I found the book engrossing and I think a must read for anybody who is interested in politics and religion.

Smart, believable Insiders view

Bradley Onishi does a good job of tying current events to a larger picture, including history details I was unaware of. The author’s personal connection is invaluable to trusting his opinion of potential futures.

Preparing for War is a must read

This is a must read for anyone wanting to understand how we arrived at our present moment and who and what we’re fighting against.

Have mercy on this Nation!

I always believed that our country was evolving in a positive direction .. closer to “a more perfect union.” My father fought Nazis, then Communists, then Communists again; I taught middle school in three states - both of us serving our beloved land in different important ways.
I could not have imagined how we have DE-volved into this current anti-public education and anti-literature hellscape. Onishi’s description of what I’ve observed in recent decades is vivid, sweeping, and chilling.

Informative & Thought-Provoking

If you’ve ever wondered how people can continue to support the former president, this book explains a lot — past, present, and future.

Clear, detailed primer on the history of the Christian, white Nationalist movement

The author is also the audible narrator for this book. He did not grow up from infancy in a fundamentalist church, but rather was introduced through a youth group, where he became a true believer. He bought their brand of Christianity hook, line and sinker, and spent many years involved in proselytizing and eventually teaching youth groups.

It was only after starting a program in theology that he realized that much of what his church had been doing and teaching was not well-founded in religious history or scripture.

He gives us a history of how Evangelical white churches were steeped in racism and homophobia, which eventually attached itself to a belief that America was founded as a Christian nation. He doves into a variety of presidents and how they helped to elevate the movement and how the church as a whole became much more political and militant over time.

The author’s narrative is clear and compelling and a bit terrifying. The motives he describes to the January 6 attackers rings. True I would love to give this book to my adult children to read as they need to protect our democracy into the future.

Eye opening!

The future of America is at atake. We need to communicate to our Christian friends that our democracy is on the line.

I know these people well.

Dr. Onishi’s recent interview on NPR’s “Throughline” is what brought me to this book. As a person who grew up in NC in the 80s and 90s, within the White Christian Nationalist narrative (complete with private Baptist school, racist fire-and-brimstone church, conspiracy theory-filled talk radio), I can attest to the accuracy of his analysis. Onishi cuts like a hot knife through butter and hits all the nails squarely on their heads.

I also learned a bit more history behind the movement than I already knew, such as James Dobson’s connection to eugenics and the American Redoubt migration.

Next…to check out the podcast. Well done, Sir!